My Cup Runneth Over

My cup truly runneth over after this meeting and so I want to try to let some of it overflow onto paper, or rather, my blog. This week was the 30th anniversary for Heritage Baptist Church and in my opinion, was one of the best meetings ever. EVER. If I didn’t know better, I’d think these preachers all call each other up before these meetings and say “So, what are you preaching on? Ok, I’ll preach on that too!” It never ceases to amaze me how the sermons are all related. They all come from different men with a variety of preaching styles but is always a common thread that binds them all together. Let me show you what I mean….

Monday, 1st Preacher: Br. Russell Hoover- Following in Dad's Footsteps

Text- Deut. 17:14-20

Solomon represtents many 2nd generation Christians. He started out well but lacked the closeness to God that David his father had. The older he got the more he allowed things to turn his heart away from the Lord.

2nd Preacher: Br. Rocko Shanks- The Approach to Supplication

Text- Eph 6:6-7, Est. 4:8

Esther approaching the King is a picture of the Christian approaching the Lord.

When you approach the Lord, you need the right Target (God), the right Timing (Be patient when necessary), and the right Tone (IF it pleases you, not I, I, I)

3rd Preacher: Br.Wall-

Text- Phi.1:27

What is your behavior telling others about you and your God? Does your conduct reflect Christ? We should be standing fast, for Christ is coming soon, and we ought to be unified with other Christians. Strife and Vain-glory is what destroys that harmony.

4th Preacher- Br. Terrance Calvin

Text- Gen. 24

Eliezer as a picture of the Holy Ghost- He: 1)Performs the will of the Father, 2) Preached of the Father and the Son, 3)Presses you into a Choice, 4)Presents you with gifts, 5) Preserves Rebekah on her journey, 6)Leads her on the right Path, 7)Puts her together with the Son. The focus was on point 4- The Holy Spirit is SUPPOSED to convict you, but he can be rejected, point 7- With out the Holy Spirit you can not have fellowship with the Son. When the Spirit moves on you, don't hinder him, respond.

5th Preacher- Br. Tim Shanks-

Text- Ex.33:1-3

God's presence is everything. Why would you want to do "God's work" if He isnt in it? 1. The presence of the Lord requires a softening of your heart and neck (v3), 2. The presence of the Lord requires separation (v16), and 3. The presence of the Lord requires scripture (34:1) Dont replace a relationship with an empty routine.

6th Preacher- Br. Tom Bard-

Text- Ps68: 1-8

Trouble is what draws us close to God. We have this "I'll call you if I need you" mentality towards God and so it takes trouble for us to desire His presence. You cannot manufacture Gods presence in your life. However, we often restrict His presence. You must determine for yourself that you want God.

7th Preacher- Br. Bill Anchor

Text- Is. 52:13-15

Our problem is that we do not see sin as exceedingly sinful. Our sin hung Him on the cross and we act like its no big deal. Then, we ignore when He tries to draw close and remove the sin in our lives. He is A-Z (He had a really great A-Z list of titles for the Lord but I couldnt get them all written down).

8th Preacher- Br. Mike Fluech

Text- Luke 15:24-32

Are you the older brother? He was a grump on a stump, a kill joy. We are Christians and should have the joy of the Lord! What killed his joy?: v29- Complaining, v29 Coveteousness, v30-Criticism of others, and v31 Complacency

And that was just day one! I've never heard so much preaching on the presence of God before and it certainly hit the nail on the head. I have found that sometimes I do things for the Lord but I'm doing it without Him and then thinking myself "Well, I did fill-in-the-blank so I must be pleasing the Lord". I had forgotten that he wants friendship and closeness with me, not just my doing things to be a "good little Christian" as one of the preacher's said. I'm so thankful that God knows right where I am and what I needed to hear. And I'm thankful that He cares enough about me that He will work so hard to get my attention.

I love you Lord. <3

California 2011

We went to California last week. Or rather, a week and a half ago. Its always an adventure going on a long trip with 7 people in the car.... Thank the Lord for a variety of music and 3 sets of Adventures in Odyssey!

Anyways, while on the way, Greg likes to stop at historical landmarks and museum things. Here we are at a logging museum.
We always laugh at the way the game show gals pose around the winner's prize and so.....

There was a whole historic logging town that you could walk around. One thing it showed me is that people haven'e changed that much since then. What gave me that idea? The out house. "Why?" you ask? Because there were clear differences in the boys and girls out houses:The girls out house had two holes. You know how we always go to the bathroom in groups....

Ok,fast forward a few days, cuz I didn't take pictures every day.
We went to the Maritime Museum of San Diego, which basically means "The place to see cool, old boats". The best two were the Star of India and the HMS Suprise.
It was pretty cool seeing all these regular modern boats on the sea and then, suddenly you see these massive piratey (yes, piratey is a word) ships in the harbor.


This is the Star of India, but it was just too hugeto get the whole thing in the picture. It was 3 decks of historical awesomeness!! This ship has been around the world 21 times and is 148 years old! You can check out the museum's website if you're interested http://www.sdmaritime.org/

A worker named "Captain Al" hung out with use for a while. He saw our matching shirts (Our Heritage Baptist Shirts, I might add) and asked how we had "had compassion and made a difference" that day. He gave us our own personal tour and taught us how to furl and unfurl the sails. See, they had a mast and sail built inside the ship so that incase you fall off, you don't die. Here we are, furling away!

Come to find out, he was an actor in Master and Commander:Far Side of the World, as is the other ship, but I'll get to that in a minute... See the red arrow? That's him.

Here we are with Captain Al

Onward! Here is the HMS Surprise!
Not only was this seen in Master and Commander, but its also seen in Pirates of the Caribbean 4, as Cap. Barbossa's ship! Pretty sweet huh? I'll continue this tomorrow!

Epic Chores!

Do you have things to do that are monotonous, boring, or just plain distasteful? My method will make even the most mundane chore EPIC!
Step 1:
Find and download some epic music, like this-


(Note awesome Star Wars clips)

or this-



Step 2:
Listen to said music while doing your jobs. Suddenly, the fate of the world seems to rest on your shoulders!!! No longer is you job boring! You aren't washing dishes, you are Destroying the Dastardly Dish creatures! You aren't vacuuming the floor, you are Vanquishing the Villanous Dust Bunnies! Every task now seems so very EPIC!! Save the world by doing chores!!!


Order my Epic-Music Cd for $19.95, plus Shipping and Handling and you too can have Epic Chores!!
;)

Under Conviction...

We have been having really great meeting at church this week. Br. James Knox came up from Florida to preach it. On the way home, we somehow started talking about an incident from when I was little. I don't know how it came up, but it sure was funny and its definitly worth sharing.

When I was young, 5 or 6, we lived in a trailer in Florida. We had a long hallway (I suppose it wasn't really that long, but it sure seemed long to me at the time!) that, on several occasions, I would run up and down. I had been told multiple times not to run in that hall but on this particular day, I did it anyways. There was an air vent at one end of the hall and I somehow managed to trip on it and send myself sprawling. I skinned up my knee and started crying. When Mom came running to see what was wrong, I made the statement "God gave me a spankin' for running in the hall!"

As Mom recounted the tale, she looked back ay me, smiled and said "You sure were under conviction."

And I started laughing. Really hard. She looked back at me, not getting what was so funny. See, that was definitly not what I was thinking. What I was really thinking was "If I explain to Mom that God already gave me a spanking, then I don't need to get in trouble with her!!!"

Hats, Coats, and Cloaks

I felt like talking about my love of dramatic accessories today. Anyone who knows me knows I have a love of coats. Big dramatic coats. Especially leather coats. Coats and cloaks are kinda my thing. I own a black leather trench coat that is my absolute favorite. Cloaks too. They're so big and flowy.

My lesser known fashion obsession: hats. Its lesser known because I dont own very many. Sure, I have several beanies for winter but I'm talking cute hats. Like this one:










The Newsboy

And this one:

The Cadet

But my favorite hat is...... the FEDORA!!

And NOT just because Indiana Jones wears one, although his is pretty great. It is not just a guys hat either. They make cute girl ones too!

It seems no hero is complete without a hat, a coat, or both. Even Jesus had a great coat! It must have been a nice coat because the soldiers didn't want to rip it apart, they cast lots over it instead!!! I wonder if He had any hats.....

Do You Hear the People Sing? Pt 3

Back on track today....




Valjean arrives at the barricade and joins in the battle. After the first wave of the attack Enjolras thanks him for his valiant efforts. Valjean asks for one favor: that he be alloowed to "take care" of Javert, who is still being held prisoner. Enjolras agrees and Valjean takes a rifle and goes into the alley with Javert, where he then pulls out a knife. Javert bitterly declares that he is not suprised that a con like Valjean will take his revenge with a knife. To his suprise, Valjean cuts his bonds and releases him, saying that he, Javert, is free to go. "I won't be bought or bribed! I will not make a deal with you!" He then declares, thinking that it what Valjean wants. Again, he is shocked when Valjean says "I hold no grudge against you. You did what was your duty in hunting me. You are free with no strings attatched." He even tells Javert where to find him if he manages to survive the battle. He then shootstherifle in theair, so that the others will think he killed the prisoner.

The next wave of battle hits and many are injured, including Marius. Seeing him fall, Valjean picks him up and carries him into the sewers, praying for God to spare him.





Not yet home, he is cornerd by Javert. He pleads for the life of the boy, who has done nothing. Javert agrees to allow Valjean to carry Marius to saftey and then intends to rearrest him. While he is waiting for Valjean to return, Javert ponders what has happened. He could not fathom why Valjean, who had every reason to hate him, would release him and willingly return to his imprisionment after rescuing Marius. Javert operates only by Law and could not handle the idea of Grace, and so, not wanting to live in debted to a con, shackles himself and throws himself into the river and drowns.

Marius and Cosette are married but I wont tell you the very end: you'll have to watch and/or read it for yourself!

One Day More!! Ignore what the begining says At the end of the day, because thats not right...


-Can I just say here, Nick Jonas doesn't sing terrible, its just, compared to Alfie Boe (Valjean) and Ramin Karimloo (Enjolras) he just doesn't have a strong voice. Also, gotta love the way Enjolras attacks that micrphone!
And, yes, I know, a black Javert is not time-period but he sure sings nice!
Lastly, Valjean, your coat. It is made of awesomeness!

I hope you have enjoyed my Les Miserables presentation!

Do You Hear the Peopl Sing? Pt 2

Once in Paris, Valjean and Cosette live for 10 years in a convent/school for girls only. Valjean is employed there as the gardener. Cosette longs to go out and see the real world so they leave the convent and get a house in Paris. Valjean still has money from the silver and his previous business and so is able to provide for them.


Walking about the city, Cosette meets Marius, a young revolutionist. The two are smitten by each other and make plans to meet again. Unknown to Valjean, Javert is now stationed in the city as well, due to the civil unrest of the revolutionaries.
Javert learns that Valjean is alive and living in Paris and, unable to let him be, determines to catch him once more.



Valjean realizes he is being hunted once again and decides to take Cosette and flee across the sea, but Cosette is heartbroken, not wanting to leave Marius behind. Marius is devastated when he hears of her imminent departure.



Meanwhile, Javert has gone undercover into the ranks of the revolutionists, planning to feed them false information. A young boy knows who Javert really is and tells the leader of the group, Enjolras. Javert is then tied up, to be kept until after the first battle. Valjean, after learning of Marius, decides, for the sake of Cosette, to go to the battle and assist the young man....

Do You Hear the People Sing? pt 1

So, I had a great time last night. I went and watched Les Miserables, the 25th Anniversary live concert in the O2 theatre in London, with Sunny Jane. It is my favorite musical and itmakes it even better when you watch it with a friend! Its such an amazing, powerful story, and then the music makes it even better! Here is a rundown of the story for those of you who haven't read and/or watched the movie and musicals.

This is Jean Valjean, prisoner 24601.




He is a convict who just served 19 years hard labor. He broke a window and stole a loaf of bread because his nephew was starving. He was captured and sentenced to 5 years. The rest were added because he tried to escape. When he was finally released on parole, no one would hire him, and he was starving yet again. A bishop takes him in for the evening, feeds him, and provides him a bed for the night. Valjean woke in the night and stole all the silver from the priest and fled.
He didnt get far. Soldiers stopped him and found the stolen silver, which Valjean claimed had been a gift. They took him back to the bishop where, to Valjean's surprise, the bishop agreed with him. Not only that, but he gave Valjean his silver candlesticks, worth even more than the silverware. He dismisses the soldiers and tells Valjean "Use this silver to become a new man." Valjean is so shocked by the kindness and mercy of this man that he swears never to steal again.



OK, so now, a few years pass, and Valjean becomes a respectable citizen and then the mayor of a small town. He owns a factory where poor people in the community can work. He is unaware that one woman, Fantine, was fired from his factory because it was discovered she had an illegitimate child. Her daughter, Cosette, was living in another town and the family,the Thenardiers, treats her very poorly. They continue to up the amount needed to care for Cosette. Now jobless, Fantine sinks into despair, selling first her furniture, then her hair, even her teeth to a denture maker. Finally, she hits bottom and sells herself as a prostitute and still the Thenardiers demand more money.



Then, she is attacked but the inspector sides with the man at fault. She is taken to the jail, so ill she can hardly walk. Valjean was witness to the attack and intervenes, taking he to the hospital instead.



An older man has an accident and a wagon falls on him, pinning him to theground. Valjean steps in and is able to lift the cart enough for the man to be saved. The inspector, Javert, was witness to the event and was shocked by Valjeans strength. Javert had been a prison guard during Valjean's imprisonment and was reminded of prisoner 24601. When he speaks to Valjean, he tells him that it must just be a coincidence since "Valjean" hadalready been rearrested and was going to court that very day. Knowing that this man must be innocent, the real Valjean is torn. If he speaks out, he will be returned to prison for breaking his parole. If he says nothing, an innocent man will be condemned to prison.
After taking measures to protect the workers of his factory, Valjean goes to the court and confesses his identity.



He returns to Fantine, who is dying. He promises to take care of Cosette and raise her. Javert confronts him and Valjean pleads for the time he needs to fetch Cosette away from the Thenardiers but Javert is merciless. Valjean knocks him out and flees.




The Thenardiers are wretched, despicable people who only care about one thing: money. They lie and act as if they cant bear to give up Cosette in order to get more money from Valjean. He pays them and flees to Paris with Cosette, determined to keep his promise to Fantine.

And that's part one of Les Miserables, which, by the way, is French for "the miserable ones". Charming title isn't it? Parts 2 and 3 to come!!!

All pictures and video are from Les Miserables the 1998 film with Liam Neeson and Geoffry Rush, or Les Miserables the 25th Anniversary concert.

Things that frustrate, irritate, and just plain drive me crazy!

People treating me like a dog. Let me explain: People are just plain rude sometimes! While working at the library, I have recently seen just HOW rude people can be to you. I am there to assist patrons and most are quite polite in asking for my help. Others, however, seem to think waving at me, and calling “Come here!” is an appropriate way to ask for my help! A patron wanted help with the computers, but when I asked “How can I help you?”, this person refused to answer me and continued to wave at me and say “Come here. Come here.” Another person snapped their fingers at me!! Snapped and pointed to his computer! Now, if I had 4 legs and a tail, I wouldn’t have a problem with this, but last I checked, I was still tail-less!

Christian friends getting unequally yoked with unbelievers. It really makes me sad to see so many Christians young people that are marrying lost people and people who are deceived by false religions (Mormons, Jehovah’s witnesses, etc, are not Christian!). It will only cause pain and struggle down the road.

Idiots that protest at the funerals of fallen soldiers. America is by no means perfect but I can’t believe the Westboro church has the audacity to protest at funerals. Do they really think that these families at the funerals are going to be “inspired” by the protesting and decide to join them???? All they are doing is causing more pain and giving the media an opportunity to say “Look at what these ‘Christians’ are doing!”!!! These people have no business calling themselves ‘Baptist’ or ‘Christian’. I am both a Christian and a Baptist and I don’t agree with what these people are doing. Only 2 people willingly give their lives for yours: the American Soldier and Jesus Christ. Don’t disrespect the gift from the soldier and don’t refuse the gift of Salvation from Jesus Christ!