Light Gives Heat

Tonight me and Kirsten went to the Forks, and we went through the Africa Village tent that they have set up. It was pretty neat - you get an iPod shuffle and follow the story through one of four real stories about a child in Africa. The pictures of beautiful people who are living a life much harder than mine reminded me of how blessed I am - and also how I need to look beyond the comfort of my own life and reach out to those who got born into a harder life than I did. There was a place at the end of the exhibit where you could write a prayer or a letter and stick it to the wall. The words of this Jars of Clay song came to mind:

Will you teach us how to love?
To see the things you see?
Walk the road you walked
Feel the pain that you feel?
At your feet I kneel
I want to see you shine
See your light, not mine
Light gives heat
Light gives heat.

I'm not sure how long the African Village is set up. It's free, so for those of you Winnipeggers who are looking for an interesting experience, you could try it out. Perhaps a bit of a World Vision advertisement, but a good reminder none the less, I think. And whether you go see the tent or not, I encourage you to think of ways to actively pursue justice for those who have done nothing to deserve their hard lot in life - just as we have done nothing to deserve our easy one. Let me know if you come up with anything good.

Everything

Every once in a while I get a reminder about the things in life that are actually important. I spend a lot of time on some really good things: friends, school, coffee, music, etc. I feel that they make my life enjoyable, and also often draw me into God. But they are not God. I have found that I can even spend time reading my Bible, talking about God, and singing praise songs, and be intellectually thinking about Jesus without entering in emotionally and spiritually. It is good to be reminded that good things are not the best thing. It is good to realize that intellect is only one part of knowing God. It is good to be reminded of my smallness and God's bigness. It is good to be shown that I am wrong. Truth is good. I really hope that my own thoughts and personality and biases don't get in the way of me being open to God showing me truth. I hope that I can be humble and make Him my everything. Here is a song that is wonderful:

Everything

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping

God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything

You are everything
You are everything
You are everything
You are everything


- Tim Hughes

You can listen to it here.

Little is Much

What is the measure of a life well lived
If all I can offer seems too small to give?
This is a song for the weaker, the poorer
And so-called failures

Little is much when God's in it
And no one can fathom the plans he holds
Little is much when God's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much

Who feels tired and underqualified?
Who feels deserted and hung out to dry?
This is a song for the broken, the beat up
And so-called losers

Little is much when God's in it
And no one can fathom the plans he holds
Little is much when God's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much

Consider a kingdom in the smallest seed
Consider that giants fell to stones and slings
Consider a child in a manger
Consider the story isn't over

-Downhere

Defender

My amazing cousin Mike Janzen was the musical guest at the Harvest Festival banquet on Friday. He is pretty much my piano hero. I sit in awe as I watch his hands move faster than I am capable of moving my hands, and somehow every note they strike sounds beautiful. Mike is also amazing because he has a wonderful heart for Jesus, and for trying to find out what it means to follow him. This is a song that he wrote that I like a lot.

Defender

To bless the poor with us
To feed the hungry ones
This is what You have taught us
To give as you have giv'n
To bring the orphans in
Is what You've commanded

Yet I am also poor in love
I need You Lord to fill me up

Defender of the poor
Restorer of the broken
Release for the oppressed
A shelter for the homeless
Is this not what it means
To know You, Lord of all
Is this not what's required to
Worship You above

To care for those in need
To set the captives free
To love as You showed us
To leave the harvest fields
For those without to eat
To tell of Your favour

Yet I am also poor in love
I need You Lord to fill me up

Defender of the poor
Restorer of the broken
Release for the oppressed
A shelter for the homeless
Is this not what it means
To know You, Lord of all
Is this not what's required to
Worship You above

- Mike Janzen

What Time Is It?

Here is a little diddy that I am singing today for reasons I'm sure you can figure out.


What Time is It?


What time is it?
SUMMERTIME!
It's our vacation!
What time is it?
Party time!
That's right, say it loud.
What time is it?
The time of our lives!
Anticipation!
What time is it?
SUMMERTIME!
School's out, scream and shout!

Finally summer's here
Good to be chillin' out
I'm off the clock (not)
The pressure's off
Now my job's what it's all about (not)

Ready for some sunshine
For my heart to take a chance
I'm here to stay
Not movin' away
Ready for a summer romance

Everybody ready, goin' crazy, yeah we're out.
Come on and let me hear you say it now, right now

What time is it?
SUMMERTIME!
It's our vacation!
What time is it?
Party time!
That's right, say it loud!
What time is it?
Time of our lives!
Anticipation!
What time is it?
SUMMERTIME!
School is out, scream and shout!

I've got no rules, no summer school
I'm free to coil till I drop
It's an education vacation
And the party never has to stop

I've got things to do, I'll see you soon
And I'm really gonna miss you all
I'll see you and you
And you and you
Bye bye until next fall

Everybody ready goin' crazy, yeah we're out
Come on and let me hear you say it now, right now

What time is it?
SUMMERTIME!
It's our vacation!
What time is it?
Party time!
That's right, say it loud!
What time is it?
Time of our lives!
Anticipation!
What time is it?
SUMMERTIME!
School's out, scream and shout!

Now I'm waking up at 6 am, cause coiling agendas is my role
Enough already, we're waiting, come on let's go... out of control

Paper cuts let's show them
Pay checks, I've earned them
Premier is my home
Navy and white

When it's time to work, I do it
When I come home I'll groove it
I'll live it up, party down
That's what the summer's all about

What time is it?
SUMMERTIME!
It's our vacation!
What time is it?
Party time!
That's right, say it loud!
What time is it?
Time of our lives!
Anticipation
What time is it?
SUMMERTIME!
School's out, scream and shout!


From High School Musical 2 (a classic if there ever was one) with some modifications to fit my life.

PS - for those of you who don't have the weather channel on 24/7 at your house, the post time of this is significant. It is the first minute of the summer!

Peace

It is so easy to be restless. It doesn't take many hours, or even minutes, of not thinking about my God who is in control before I start feeling unpeaceful and restless. "Unpeace". Apparently this is not a word, since my computer is underlining it in red as I write this, but I am going to leave it. I have used this word a lot in my talks with people throughout the year. Unpeace is the best way I can think of to describe the thing I am trying to describe. When your mind is rushing in all sorts of directions, or not going anywhere, and all you know is that something isn't right, that things aren't okay. It is the complete opposite of rest.

I think I experienced some of the greatest moments of unpeace in my life last summer. I didn't know what it was that was making me feel that way, and although I have been learning more about myself this year, I still don't know all the reasons why last summer I felt such inner turmoil. I feel like this year has been a journey back to a place of peace, and yet I still have moments and even whole days or weeks when I feel like things aren't okay and I need to do something to make them better. That's the problem: I keep looking for something that I can do. The thing is that the Person who can give me rest and make it all okay isn't me. I'm not the one who has to do anything.

We sang one of my very favorite hymns in church this morning. I had never heard the third verse before, but I found it when I searched for the lyrics and I figured I'd throw it in there. Here they are:

Be Still My Soul

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide.
In every change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know his love, his heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From his own fullness all he takes away.

Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.


-Katherina von Schlegel, 1752 (translated by Jane Borthwick, 1855)

Oh Lord, you're beautiful
Your face is all I see,
For when your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me.

Oh Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love
That burns with holy fear.

I want to take your Word and shine it all around,
But first help me just to live it, Lord.
And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown,
For my reward is giving glory to you.

Own Me

Music is a wonderful thing. It connects with the soul in a way that words cannot express, and sometimes I hear a song that feels like it is coming from the essence of who I am. And since the words aren't all of what makes a song good (and often not anywhere close to all), putting them on my blog really doesn't do them justice, but the words are good just the same. And also, with 4 exams left to go, I just don't have time to put anything up here besides the lyrics to a song that was in my head today.


Own Me

Got a stack of books so I could learn how to live;
Many are left half-read, covered by the cobwebs on my shelf.
And I got a list of laws growing longer every day;
If I keep pluggin' away, maybe one day I'll perfect myself.
Oh, but all of my labor seems to be in vain
And all of my laws just cause me more pain;
So I fall before You in all of my shame;
Ready and willing to be changed

Own me, take all that I am,
And heal me with the blood of the Lamb.
Mold me with Your gracious hand;
Break me till I'm only Yours-
Own me.

You call me Daughter,
And You take my blame;
And You run to meet me
When I cry out Your name.
So I fall before You in all of my shame,
Lord, I am willing to be changed

Own me, take all that I am
And heal me with the blood of the Lamb.
Mold me with Your gracious hand;
Break me till I'm only Yours-
Own me.


-Ginny Owens

Whatever You're Doing

It's time for healing, time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
And all I can do is surrender

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
But I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills?
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything. I surrender...

To whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
But I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This is something bigger than me
Larger than life, something Heavenly

It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out


-Sanctus Real

When Nothing Satisfies

When it rains or it shines on this pillow of mine
I will lift up my head to the sky
So I have chance to see
Where my hope has come from
Know there's nothing that I can't abide

When nothing satisfies you
When nothing satisfies you
When nothing satisfies you
Hold my hand

Send forth Your Light Lord,
And send forth Your Truth
Let them guide me to your Holy Place
Then will I go to the Altar of God
To my Joy, my Delight and my Strength

When nothing satisfies you
When nothing satisfies you
When nothing satisfies you
Hold my hand

Why are you so downcast, oh my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God
My Savior, my King
My Savior, my King

When nothing satisfies you
When nothing satisfies you
When nothing satisfies you
Hold my hand

-Jennifer Knapp

Someone Searching

Face lost in the crowd
Feet wandering empty streets
Voice crying out loud
Heart aching with every beat

Someone searching
Searching for someone
Everywhere and endlessly
Wishing, waiting
Could there be someone?
Searching for
Someone searching

Soul battered and bruised
Pride wounded and left for dead
Ears deaf to good news
Eyes tear-drenched and sleepless red

Someone searching
Searching for someone
Everywhere and endlessly
Wishing, waiting
Could there be someone?
Searching for
Someone searching

Oh I hear the cry
And I know the pain
Can it be denied?
That everyone has been and will be
Someone searching

Love standing alone
Hands scarred by the nails of hate
Hope suffering long
Faith urging that it's not too late

Someone searching
Searching for someone
Everywhere and endlessly
Loving, longing
Always there's someone
Searching for
Someone searching

-Ginny Owens