tuesday, august 28

myspace, facebook, e.c. - aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

who has time to keep their profile updated on all of these sites?

not sure how many people read this here little blog (said with the most southern accent Christie could conjure up) but do YOU have a preference?

i have recently been introduced to facebook by my friend, Sam, and i think it is more user friendly than myspace.

now, for the REAL deal... last night... i couldn't sleep. i take that back, last night, i kept falling asleep only to be awaken abruptly by who knows what.

ever try praying when you are half awake and half asleep - i felt like it was useless, i couldn't keep my thoughts together long enough to whisper complete sentences. how frustrating.

i kept thinking of my family up north - i need to make a trip up that way - i miss them so much!

today's thing: i want to be the church, yes. more than doing a good deed, i want to create lasting and meaningful relationships with seekers.

yesterday, my eye was bothering me. the head of the hr department where i work, came to my desk to chit-chat - and the next thing i know, she is offering up a prayer for my eye. (not to mention my patience level, which had sunk beneath the deepest pit of the earth.)

i'm telling you, my watermelon NLT has gotten me places over the past few days that i never imagined. this same lady and i are planning a lunch date to talk about the different versions of the Bible.

God is so cool. all we have to do is knock, (carry around your Bible) and the door will be opened to you (for conversations about the words inside that powerful little book.)

happy "be the church" day!

Fear God Instead

this is going to be a very short blog - i am running way late for work this morning! yipes!

i took time to study a bit in the book of ecclesiastes this morning - reading chapters one through five.

solomon was quite the negative little creature!

the verse i found this morning that most stood out to me was "talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. fear God instead." (5:7) so there!

i once taught a lesson to a group of students on "fear God. live forever." i thought it was a pretty cool lesson, i mean, i still remember it. =)

gotta run, i am so late!

saturday, august 25

i'm really diggin' my new Bible.

i have used the nlt version a number of times in my online studies, but wanted to have something to keep at my side for "anytime" study... yes, my dear friend, i am really diggin' this thing!

it turned heads when i took it to work yesterday. that's how cool my new book looks.

during my "God time" this morning while sipping my mudslide coffee from gloria jeans, i acknowledged that i may have been a little too stuffy with sticking to the kjv only. (before you throw stones, hear me out...) (i don't know why i think that some would throw stones at me for changing up my study version, i know that sounds silly... )

generally when i receive a revelation, it's something that an ant could understand. (why i chose an ant, i have no idea)

in my new watermelon Bible, the first verse i turned to was john 1:1-5 - it says, "in the beginning the Word already existed. the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. the Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."

this simple revelation of mine, is just that, the spoken word is so powerful.

what we say can really affect someone else in amazing ways.

*the bad*

according to james 3:2 (kjv) - "for in many things we offend all. if any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body." (or show excellent self-control)

james 3:8 says, "but the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." (kjv) or (nlt) "but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison."

by these two verses, we see that the tongue can be such an evil thing - used to spread poison that can offend others.

*the good*

john says, "the words that i have spoken unto you are spoken through the Spirit and they are life." (john 6:63)

i peter 3:10 says... "if you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips from telling lies." (nlt)

proverbs 25:11 - "a word fitly spoken [is like] apples of gold in pictures of silver." (kjv)

today, my desire is to speak life into God's creation. (that's pretty deep actually) i will be thinking on that for a while. =)

wednesday, august 23

"reality" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3PC0XHe_4Y

christie's "be the church" report:

...so I met my neighbor yesterday. i must stop in again soon to sit with her. she seems very nice, her name is ms. anthony.

oh, yes, and ms. ford, she has asked me to help her start a women's group Bible study for an hour and a half each week.

she told me that she has been praying for God to send her a young lady who could help her. she has envisioned this ministry for many months now and feels very passionate about it. i told her, that i am happy to help her in any way that i can.

she and i will connect soon to begin planning times that will impact the women in our area in a very positive way.

**

a scripture comes to mind... james 1:27 - "pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction..."

**

if you are interested in reading more about project 22:39 in charlotte during nayc - click here...
http://www.ninetyandnine.com/Archives/20070820/cover.htm

Jonathan Dean and Ms. Ford

the more i seek you the more i find you, the more i find you the more i love you... i want to sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand, lean back against you and breathe, and feel your heartbeat, this love is so deep, it's more than i can stand, i melt in your peace, it's overwhelming

if you have not heard this song before you MUST buy the CD - here's your link: http://www.whitesteeple.com/music.html

this is jonathan dean's newest release - it's called the praise and worship project.

it minsters to me many times throughout the day - i feel like i have a "God moment" each time i hear this song - it is as if this song flows straight from my soul.

christie's "be the church" report:

dan and i went to ms. ford's house last night. She had 22 different food options - that woman is so wonderful! we left feeling stuffed! we laughed a lot and enjoyed her company.

she told us that she loves to talk when she has an audience. =) we gladly listened - she has so much to offer.

today, i am stopping in at ms. ford's house (before i go to work) to pick up a plate for my shut-in neighbor that i told you about in an earlier blog.

dan and i are going to learn a lot from this woman. she is such a saint!

Being the Church

time has moved so quickly.

the weekend is over.

i fear that i barely remember the last few months.

life gets so busy.

too busy sometimes.

this is why, since north american youth congress, i am adamant about being the church.

time is passing far too quickly for us to NOT be making an impact in some one's life.

this weekend, my friend, sam and i went to "be the church" down the street from where i live.

we knocked on the door of a lady that i met three years ago, she reminded me... =) i thought it was only two years ago.

she has been to china, i have been to sri lanka, we met up in a grocery store years ago and promised each other that we would connect, to exchange pictures from our travels.

she goes to the baptist church around the bend.

i have joined her and her church family at Christmas tea.

she has joined me and my church family for a Christmas concert.

she is probably in her mid-late 70s. she is a retired school teacher and a widow.

sam and i stopped in to ask her what we could do for her. i knew she had a long list, because every time i drive by her place, she is out doing something.

we cut rubar then made a bed for her, in her guest house. more than working, she just wanted to sit down and visit.

we stayed for close to two hours, and have been invited back for leftovers tonight. =) we are really looking forward to a southern home-cooked meal.

she also sent us away with homemade grape jelly. it was so yummy, i had this on a peanut butter sandwich last night before i took my snooze.

she was probably equally "the church" to us as we were to her.

it still felt like the right thing to do.

at first, sam and i thought that we may be shoveling dirt for Ms. Ford, which we were both ready to do. (me in my swim shoes that sam made fun of. =) i guess God had other plans. =)

great friends, doing great work, what else could one ask for?

wednesday, august 15

it truly was an amazing success - after everything was said and done, i think that "most" were on location on time and worked diligently to show love to their neighbors in charlotte.

i have received a lot of very positive feedback, for which i am most grateful.

God was in this project from the start - christie breaks into song, "who am I that the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name... la la la" (shameless plug for Casting Crowns) - this was a God thing!

i am thankful that i was a part of putting close to 1,500 students and adult volunteers on the streets, in the parks, in the homeless shelters, at classroom central warehouse and at second harvest warehouse in charlotte to show the city that we love them.

that day, we put our words into action by serving them at their greatest need.

another shameless plug - danny rivers rocked my safe comfy little world with his highly influencial message on friday afternoon of nayc. his site is www.bethechurch.cc i have visited this site several times since last friday and it has already impressed me tremendously.

after listening to his message, in my car - (i was so busy on friday, the 10th that i didn't make it to the service...) - after listening to this message i just wanted to GO do something, anything, just get out there and be the church!

to which, i have written a letter, i know, that does not sound like much, a letter? BUT, this letter is to my next door neighbor, i noticed that she has recently had a ramp built in front of her home, for wheelchair access - i didn't want to startle her by going over and knocking on her door, so i have written a note to ask her if i could come and sit down with her to just spend time with her, do her grocery shopping, anything i can do to serve my neighbor, i will do. i know this sounds like a small task - but it is about being the church - meeting people at their need - that's what my friend, Jesus, did.

christie breaks out into song again.... "to be like Jesus, to be like Jesus, on earth i want to be like Him, all through life's journey, from earth to glory... la la la

i will write more about p2239 soon - this is going to be an epidemic, just let me tell you that right now - p2239 will live forever in mine and dan's lives - pray with us that God will have His way in everything we do - i am dreaming REALLY BIG right now!