Friday, August 1, 2008
You have got to see this...
You may want to turn your volume all the way up as the song is difficult to hear, but the lyrics are so worth it:
"He is jealous for me, His love's like a hurricane.
I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of his love and mercy..."
incredible imagery...
so big
My baby is getting to be a big girl. I couldn't believe the change when I arrived home from work tonight. She had to have grown through the night 'cause I don't know when she got this big!
ejk
ejkWednesday, July 30, 2008
A word from your local nurse
Don't mean to preach here, people, but I love you, so deal with it (hehe). We all could use a little encouragement in the healthy eating department, so here's my soapbox for the day:
Blueberries are in season - you can buy a carton for two bucks in most stores.
As a reigning superfood packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants, these are berries of life!
So grab a handful a day, and enjoy.
'Tis the season.
ejk
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A peek into our travels home
Our Fish named Belle - she LOVED mamaw's pool.
Isabelle imitating papaw
Mommy & her favorite girl!
Aron Paul out for a night swim.
Beautiful Grace & Little Belle
Precious Samuel (Ben & Danielle's son)
Beautiful Grace & Little Belle
Precious Samuel (Ben & Danielle's son)
Isabelle imitating papaw
Mommy & her favorite girl!
Monday, July 28, 2008
He is your praise.
"20 Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes." Deut. 10:20-21
This verse blew me away. You know what was great about the Israelites? God loved them and chose them to be his. That's about it. Notice I didn't mention anything they did? For so long I've wanted recognition for my various abilities--music, guitar, songwriting, sports, etc. Through Christ, God chose everybody to be his, and that includes me, and not because of any of my great abilities.
This verse puts things in perspective. When I'm loving God with all that I am, all else fades away. Soon I don't care if I'm recognized for my abilities. My wants become his wants. My will becomes his will. To live is Christ, to die is gain, and people start noticing.
Soon, when people think of me they think of God. When I play guitar people think about God. When I help someone push their broke-down car off the road they think of God. When I write a song people think about God. When I clean my house to serve my wife people think about God. As I try to bring praise to God in everything I do God becomes my praise.
I'm waiting for the day when I do something and someone looks at me and says "you truly are a child of God." What greater praise could be given? This type of praise is not given for any of my great abilities (i.e. face-melting guitar solo [note: I doubt anyone ever told Steve Vai 'you truly are a child of God' after one of his concerts]). No, this type of praise is usually given after a menial service or favor administered with much love. No wonder Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but took on the nature of a servant.
Followers of Christ: He is your praise.
APK
This verse blew me away. You know what was great about the Israelites? God loved them and chose them to be his. That's about it. Notice I didn't mention anything they did? For so long I've wanted recognition for my various abilities--music, guitar, songwriting, sports, etc. Through Christ, God chose everybody to be his, and that includes me, and not because of any of my great abilities.
This verse puts things in perspective. When I'm loving God with all that I am, all else fades away. Soon I don't care if I'm recognized for my abilities. My wants become his wants. My will becomes his will. To live is Christ, to die is gain, and people start noticing.
Soon, when people think of me they think of God. When I play guitar people think about God. When I help someone push their broke-down car off the road they think of God. When I write a song people think about God. When I clean my house to serve my wife people think about God. As I try to bring praise to God in everything I do God becomes my praise.
I'm waiting for the day when I do something and someone looks at me and says "you truly are a child of God." What greater praise could be given? This type of praise is not given for any of my great abilities (i.e. face-melting guitar solo [note: I doubt anyone ever told Steve Vai 'you truly are a child of God' after one of his concerts]). No, this type of praise is usually given after a menial service or favor administered with much love. No wonder Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but took on the nature of a servant.
Followers of Christ: He is your praise.
APK
Priceless "GIVE" video
The GIVE video from this past Sunday is now on youtube. Not bad for our first self-produced video (props to Marti Mattia). I have to say it was a hit, and that guy on the telephone is a natural when it comes to acting (extremely good-looking, too!).
APK
APK
Friday, July 25, 2008
never sleep on your good ear...or so I hear
Worship on Sunday should be interesting - that is unless Aron gets his hearing back. My poor husband is temporarily deaf in his left ear (a bad case of swimmers ear from vacationing poolside).
He's complained all week that he can't hear out of his left ear. I thought he was exaggerating. So last night I decided to test it out. (this was really evil, but so funny). I got right up in his left ear and whispered quite brash, outlandish statements that would have made me blush had Aron actually heard them. I knew if he could hear them, he'd burst out laughing...or scold me. But instead he just sat there....staring. He had no clue!
To top it off, Aron slept on his good ear last night, so the alarm clock (which sounds more like a seriously loud, annoying FOG HORN on the front of a cruise liner right in the middle of our bedroom) screeched for 45 minutes before he awoke. And I quote, "When I woke up I heard this quiet pulsing noise...then I lifted my head off the pillow and realized it was the alarm. I slept on my good ear so I couldn't hear the alarm clock, and I woke up 15 minutes after I was supposed to leave. Ahhh, I was so mad. (pause) Man, how do deaf people wake up in the morning?"
I don't know babe, I don't know, but you sure are cute to watch trying to figure that out!
ejk
He's complained all week that he can't hear out of his left ear. I thought he was exaggerating. So last night I decided to test it out. (this was really evil, but so funny). I got right up in his left ear and whispered quite brash, outlandish statements that would have made me blush had Aron actually heard them. I knew if he could hear them, he'd burst out laughing...or scold me. But instead he just sat there....staring. He had no clue!
To top it off, Aron slept on his good ear last night, so the alarm clock (which sounds more like a seriously loud, annoying FOG HORN on the front of a cruise liner right in the middle of our bedroom) screeched for 45 minutes before he awoke. And I quote, "When I woke up I heard this quiet pulsing noise...then I lifted my head off the pillow and realized it was the alarm. I slept on my good ear so I couldn't hear the alarm clock, and I woke up 15 minutes after I was supposed to leave. Ahhh, I was so mad. (pause) Man, how do deaf people wake up in the morning?"
I don't know babe, I don't know, but you sure are cute to watch trying to figure that out!
ejk
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Easter Drama on YouTube
The drama we did at church this past Easter is now on youtube (thanks to Marti Mattia). You can check it out by going to http://www.youtube.com/ and searching "Macomb Christian Church" or just click here. The drama starts about 30 seconds into the video. It's worth the 5 minutes if you've got time.
As you can see, we made good use of the 'ole "baptistery window". Denise Timm, Erica, and I wrote this drama and I wrote the song we're playing in the video called "For the Sake of Love." Becky Rumbuc and Denise helped direct and choreograph the wonderful cast which included:
Jonce T(really complicated last name) as "Jesus"
James More as "Adam"
Emily Young as "Eve"
Erica Kirk as "the Temptress"
Larry Dodge as "the Tempter"
Andy Young on lights
MCC worship band playing "For the Sake of Love"
This Sunday we're playing our first video produced "in-house". It's a spoof on the Mastercard "Priceless" commercials. We'll post it on youtube soon.
APK
As you can see, we made good use of the 'ole "baptistery window". Denise Timm, Erica, and I wrote this drama and I wrote the song we're playing in the video called "For the Sake of Love." Becky Rumbuc and Denise helped direct and choreograph the wonderful cast which included:
Jonce T(really complicated last name) as "Jesus"
James More as "Adam"
Emily Young as "Eve"
Erica Kirk as "the Temptress"
Larry Dodge as "the Tempter"
Andy Young on lights
MCC worship band playing "For the Sake of Love"
This Sunday we're playing our first video produced "in-house". It's a spoof on the Mastercard "Priceless" commercials. We'll post it on youtube soon.
APK
a real dose of truth
I sit here this afternoon checking the news - Yahoo, Fox, Associated Press. I sit and stare, overwhelmed at the massive assault on truth by the "prince of this earth" to deceive and ensnare us all.
Deception about the origin of all that we know, lies about how we are supposed to act, utter lies about what will bring us life. Lies about what it looks like to be a man or woman, deception that is even rotting the foundation of our economy, our government at large, and family life. Check it out for yourself...here or here.
Why? Why does Satan even care? From my limited understanding, it seems that his one aim is to destroy God...because he cannot be God. He tried once, failed, and is now very very bitter. Yet Satan cannot destroy the One who created Him; but alas...there is a weak spot...an Achilles heel, if you will:
The heart of God.
Because God loves so passionately, so fiercely, so consumingly the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, we have become both Satan's target and his weapon - or so it seems to me.
If he can distract and deceive us, cause us to distrust our one True Love, not only is he causing pain to the object of God's affection - he is using us as the dagger of pain & betrayal straight to the heart of God. Its a brilliant plan really, and it has worked for centuries.
Yet God pursues. Pursues to the point that - because of his unyielding love - He gave His life for we who are worse than whores. And it doesn't stop there. God takes our whore-bag filth (and that is putting it kindly) and offers to restore us to a beautiful, whole, white bride...by His side, called by His name, and free of the shame of our past.
Now that is the truth. And that, my friends, should set us free and change the way we live.
ejk
Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. --Henry David Thoreau
Deception about the origin of all that we know, lies about how we are supposed to act, utter lies about what will bring us life. Lies about what it looks like to be a man or woman, deception that is even rotting the foundation of our economy, our government at large, and family life. Check it out for yourself...here or here.
Why? Why does Satan even care? From my limited understanding, it seems that his one aim is to destroy God...because he cannot be God. He tried once, failed, and is now very very bitter. Yet Satan cannot destroy the One who created Him; but alas...there is a weak spot...an Achilles heel, if you will:
The heart of God.
Because God loves so passionately, so fiercely, so consumingly the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, we have become both Satan's target and his weapon - or so it seems to me.
If he can distract and deceive us, cause us to distrust our one True Love, not only is he causing pain to the object of God's affection - he is using us as the dagger of pain & betrayal straight to the heart of God. Its a brilliant plan really, and it has worked for centuries.
Yet God pursues. Pursues to the point that - because of his unyielding love - He gave His life for we who are worse than whores. And it doesn't stop there. God takes our whore-bag filth (and that is putting it kindly) and offers to restore us to a beautiful, whole, white bride...by His side, called by His name, and free of the shame of our past.
Now that is the truth. And that, my friends, should set us free and change the way we live.
ejk
Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. --Henry David Thoreau
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Day 29
40 days of Focus update:
I've been slacking a bit on my committments. The fasting and prayer have been consistent, but the whole eating healthy/exercising has been tough. I also learned it's hard to be disciplined when you're on vacation. We had a week vacation a few weeks ago and that's when I started going downhill. I'm getting back in the saddle, though, and I'm looking forward to finishing strong.
APK
I've been slacking a bit on my committments. The fasting and prayer have been consistent, but the whole eating healthy/exercising has been tough. I also learned it's hard to be disciplined when you're on vacation. We had a week vacation a few weeks ago and that's when I started going downhill. I'm getting back in the saddle, though, and I'm looking forward to finishing strong.
APK
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