Monday, April 29, 2013

Carmen

I got to see an amazing man last week.  His name is Carmen, the amazing, Christian musician and entertainer. I had never seen him in concert before, (except when I was two years old, but I don't remember it, of course!) and it was great to see him perform! He had such a vivid way of portraying the stories in his songs, especially the song Lazarus. He didn't fail to make everybody laugh a lot, and I had a wonderful time.

 Part way through the show, though, Carmen stopped the funny, light side of his performance, and spoke about something that everyone had been wondering about -- cancer. Carmen has cancer. And although it should have made us all feel really sad and put a somber mood over the evening it didn't. He didn't let it color the whole performance. Don't get me wrong -- it must have been hard to talk about something so personal and scary in a big room with a bunch of strangers. But Carmen chose to focus on the positive side of what God was letting happen to him. And, he shared with us an idea that had formed after he found out about the cancer. He wants to train 1,000 evangelists.

 Carmen is an amazing performer.  He knows how to deal with big groups of people.  He knows how to tell a story that can be lighthearted, yet completely relevant and true to his audience.  He's helped lead thousands to the foot of the cross, where they have realized their sin and repented to God.  He has the tools that musicians and teachers just starting out don't know where to get.  And he wants to teach them.  So, Carmen has made a goal to teach 1,000 people what he knows before he dies.

Instead of letting death stare him in the face and cause him to cower in despair, Carmen is standing strong -- being held up by the Father -- and deciding to make a difference with however long he has left.  I am glad that he's doing it.  I'm excited for what God has planned with Carmen's life.

It also reminds me to make each day count.  Not everyone gets a warning.  Not everyone is told when their time is up.  Sometimes our lives can be snatched away, without the quietest hint or the smallest sign.  What would you do if tomorrow was the last day you had on earth?  You never know -- it very well could be.


Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Songs for Spring

Today I am going to tell you my top ten favorite songs for Spring 2013.  They are songs of hope and encouragement, of God's love and grace, and new beginnings.  They are in absolutely no particular order, because picking a favorite song would be IMPOSSIBLE.  Enjoy!

1. Gold, by Britt Nicole



 2. Light Up the Sky, by the Afters



 3. Kings and Queens, by Audio Adrenaline



4. Waiting for Tomorrow, by Mandisa


5. Eye on It, by TobyMac



Saturday, April 13, 2013

YOU could be a hero

This song is so inspiring...


You could be the change in this world,
Rise above the normal, 
You don't have to be afraid anymore,
We are the light, we are the hope,
We are the love inside worth fighting for.  
You could be a hero.

It takes stepping just outside of our comfort zone.  It takes a deep breath, closed eyes, and hands raised to Jesus.  It takes a simple "Yes" to whatever God has asked of us.  It may seem hard to let go of our plans for our lives, but God wants us to live for others.  When Jesus came to earth, He came as a servant, a friend, and a healer.  He wants us to do the same.  He wants us to reach out with open arms to the broken, the lost, and the weary, and lift them up.  In reality, the actual, physical work of helping others isn't hard.  It's the conquering of "me" that I find difficult.  I realize the need, but, sometimes, it's hard for me to get past all the reasons why someone else should help them.  I can find a myriad of excuses why I'm not qualified, or why I don't have the time, or why someone else is so much better at helping than me.  

But the truth is, I am God's vessel, and if God is big enough to help, than He can use me -- even if it's only in some really little way -- to change the world.


If you would like to sponsor a sweet, little girl from Mexico, please let me know!

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Ricky

This past week has been so wonderful!  Having Easter vacation has given me the opportunity to go shopping with my mom and grandma, draw a little bit, and knit a LOT.  I've been knitting some washcloths for a knitting swap on Ravelry.  They are going to a women's home in Massachusetts, where women with substance abuse pasts recover, I believe.  It has been fun making them.  I did a couple with a cable owl in the center, and I think I'm going to try some that are in the shape of a leaf!

The real highlight of my week was when I found out I had a new Compassion correspondent child!


His name is Ricky, and he is going to be 15 in June.  He lives in the Dominican Republic with his father.  I am so excited to get to know him!  Even though I can't be his financial sponsor, it is so cool to be able to encourage him through letter writing.  And, now with Lizzie's new post on letter writing, I should be all set with topics and ideas to write him about.  Thanks Lizzie, for all the great ideas.  I would be a little lost on what to write to a teen boy at first, if it wasn't for your great posts :)

If you would like to sponsor a child through Compassion, just let me know!  I'm still praying that Aylin will get sponsored before Compassion Sunday, on April 21.