Underground ReLOVEution

So the other day I was standing amongst a flock of pigeons with my camera and they slowly became accustom to my presence. Even though I am not a bird they didn’t mind I was there after a while and I was able to get closer to them. While hoping not to get pooped on, I began to wonder, if I allow things to remain in my heart or life that don't belong, after a while will I not recognize how anomalous their presence is? Given a picture of a human and flock of birds, a kindergartner could clearly point out which doesn’t fit, but it's harder to see from the inside. I fear that if I don’t get rid of the things in my life that don’t belong, I may eventually accept flaws for truth and they will become embedded lies in the foundation of my character like paw prints in a sidewalk.

Maybe this is why we need to bring our burdens to God daily and clean our closets regularly...

P.S. I thought this pigeon was going to walk into me and looked really goofy...

I found a video online yesterday and I wanted to share it with you.

First, I try not to be too political when talking about Jesus. Too many Christians on both side of the aisle have hijacked Jesus to support their party and I hate that more than almost anything in the world. Jesus was neither Republican nor Democrat.

That being said, I think that abortion is one of the worst social justice issues facing Christians today and so when I saw this video, I got excited.

It's not polarizing, it's not attacking and it's not hateful, but it is a creative way to get people to rethink their views on the sanctity of a life.

and to die is gain. So this is my first post, and I'm kind of exited. I've been reading a lot about this passage these last couple months. Excuse my rambling.

I'm tired of not writing anything. I always get a great idea of some pearl of wisdom to share with you guys, but then I get a little of the way into it and then I can never finish the idea. Anyway, I wanted to do a little project. Let me start with some background.

I'm a dreamer. I like big ideas and I usually get some crazy ones. Me and Charlie have talked about opening up different business that range from a T-Shirt making company, web design firm, and brewery. I always talk about some grandiose idea that I want the youth group to do or I want to do with my friends, and very few come to fruition. This post isn't about the negatives of dreaming though, this is about the positives. I think that God gives some people dreams. Some are just fancy ideas that don't ever happen, but you gotta have those dreamers who push everyone else to do big things. Even if only a few stick, at least those few stuck. So I'm going to post all the big, crazy, weird ideas I have for our church/youth group and I want you guys to add to them. Don't think that your ideas are stupid... maybe they are, but this is a safe place, and maybe something you think is stupid is exactly what God wants to do. So here goes... Feel free to add in the comments section.

A Bible school
A DTS that is connected to the church
Doing missions trips twice a year to different countries every time.
A newspaper/magazine
A recording studio
A coffee shop for people to hang out at and students to come to
A place for homeless people to live
A place where prayer is going on 24/7
A group that does art for Jesus
A dance team
Concerts
Conferences
A huge outreach ministry that goes to homeless shelters, soup kitchens, places that serve single mothers, widows, disabled, elderly people and everyone else... and orphans.
An awesome worship ministry where we record music and write our own songs.
A cool video ministry where we create videos for all sorts of things
Poetry readings
Cafe nights where people perform their art
Lots of small groups where people get to know each other on a more personal level

Those are just some of my ideas. Some are already happening, some are never going to happen. What are some dreams that you guys have?

Today I stumbled upon this singer, Rick Pino. Amazed by his voice and his lyrics, I youtubed him. That may have been a mistake. I was a little dissapointed when I found this video. I'm not quite sure what I think of this and it makes me wonder what God thinks. Maybe I'm just synical though...hmmm....
PS. I have no idea how to put a video clip on here. So just follow the link. Lame...I know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYrKgrkIrg8

Molly

Envy and Avarice, one summer day,
Sauntering abroad
In quest of the abode
Of some poor wretch or fool who lived that way--
You--or myself, perhaps--I cannot say--
Along the road, scarce heeding where it tended,
Their way in sullen, sulky silence wended;

For, though twin sisters, these two charming creatures,
Rivals in hideousness of form and features,
Wasted no love between them as they went.
Pale Avarice,
With gloating eyes,
And back and shoulders almost double bent,
Was hugging close that fatal box
For which she's ever on the watch
Some glance to catch
Suspiciously directed to its locks;
And Envy, too, no doubt with silent winking
At her green, greedy orbs, no single minute
Withdrawn from it, was hard a-thinking
Of all the shining dollars in it.

The only words that Avarice could utter,
Her constant doom, in a low, frightened mutter,
"There's not enough, enough, yet in my store!"
While Envy, as she scanned the glittering sight,
Groaned as she gnashed her yellow teeth with spite,
"She's more than me, more, still forever more!"

Thus, each in her own fashion, as they wandered,
Upon the coffer's precious contents pondered,
When suddenly, to their surprise,
The God Desire stood before their eyes.
Desire, that courteous deity who grants
All wishes, prayers, and wants;
Said he to the two sisters:
"Beauteous ladies,
As I'm a gentleman, my task and trade is
To be the slave of your behest--
Choose therefore at your own sweet will and pleasure,
Honors or treasure!
Or in one word, whatever you'd like best.
But, let us understand each other--she
Who speaks the first, her prayer shall certainly
Receive--the other, the same boon, redoubled!"

Imagine how our amiable pair,
At this proposal, all so frank and fair,
Were mutually troubled!
Misers and enviers, of our human race,
Say, what would you have done in such a case?
Each of the sisters murmured, sad and low
"What boots it, oh, Desire, to me to have
Crowns, treasures, all the goods that heart can crave,
Or power divine bestow,
Since still another must have always more?"

So each, lest she should speak before
The other, hesitating slow and long
Till the god lost all patience, held her tongue.
He was enraged, in such a way,
To be kept waiting there all day,
With two such beauties in the public road;
Scarce able to be civil even,
He wished them both--well, not in heaven.

Envy at last the silence broke,
And smiling, with malignant sneer,
Upon her sister dear,
Who stood in expectation by,
Ever implacable and cruel, spoke"I would be blinded of one eye!"

-Victor Hugo, from Le Conservateur Litaraire, 1820

Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all. While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves - blessed riddance. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ, the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do...

Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus.

I started to pray in my car today on the way home from Bible study at Molly's house, "God I thank you-"

"Don't talk."

I shut up. And I knew why I wasn't supposed to; this routine was becoming cliche. I didn't say "okay, I won't, but what do you want me to do?" I just stopped. My brain quit cranking, stopped thinking of things to tell him. I looked at a tree. Just looked at the tree and kept it in my mind and let the tree sit in my head for awhile, appreciating the way it looked. Appreciating this Earth God created (the way it makes me feel.) I didn't say "Thank you for making this tree," I just let the tree sit, and knew I didn't need to talk about it. Then I moved onto another image and let that image stick in my head. Me and Ruthann having coffee at the Lyon's den. Next: my mom. Next: sitting on swings at night with my friend Elle. Next: Imagining images of the friendships I could cultivate with the girls I had just spent time with. I just let them each stick around for awhile and moved on right before I felt I needed to talk about them.

I don't know why this surprised me, but God knows I am wound too tight, and he wasn't okay with being part of my routine tonight. He just wanted me to stop thinking and planning, and delight in the joys he has given me. It was only about four minutes... four minutes of not worrying about what was coming next. The way he got my attention though- it was like "I don't want to hear it right now, talking to me isn't something to check off your mental to-do list." God doesn't mess around, and he is not a push-over...

Hey Guys...
Its Molly. I'm sitting in Spotted Cow right now. Somehow I always feel so inspired when I get out of the house. I found this link to Hillsong London and watched their videos. Wow. Anyone for a field trip to London? Kidding. But...their songs and the first video on this link are so good. It was a heart check and a reminder for me, what is it that we are doing here...what is God's purpose for us. We are the Church. Check them out, see what you think, see if you are inspired. If so...what do we need to be doing?

So, I would love to hear some feedback from you guys. Is there anything you guys would like to discuss, from the mundane (favorite music, food, what you have to do before you go to school each day) to the deep (what worship means to you, how important community is, etc.) Give me some ideas to start talking about or writing about.