Meditations and Songs

The earth pulling at our feet

I want to rise up, to soar into Heaven to be where I belong. But gravity is pulling me down.....some day I will fly.

Stars

Maybe I've been the problem

Maybe I'm the one to blame

But even when I turn it off and blame myself

The outcome feels the same

I've been thinking maybe I've been partly cloudy

Maybe I'm the chance of rain

And maybe I'm overcast

And maybe all my luck's washed down the drain

Chorus:

I've been thinking 'bout everyone

Everyone, you look so lonely

But when I look at the stars

When I look at the stars

I see someone else

When I look at the stars, the stars

I feel like myself

Stars looking at a planet watching entropy and pain

And maybe start to wonder how

The chaos in our lives could pass as sane

Ive been thinking about the meaning of resistance

Of a world beyond my own

And suddenly the infinite and penitent

Began to look like home

Chorus:

I've been thinking 'bout everyone

everyone, you look so empty

But when I look at the stars

When I look at the stars

I see someone else

When I look at the stars, the stars

I feel like myself

YOW!

Stars...stars

Everyone everyone you feel so lonely

Everyone, yeah, everyone you feel so empty

When I look at the stars

I feel like myself

when I look at the stars, the stars

I see someone...

OW!

"Stars" by Switchfoot

Waiting for Me

Maybe I was wishin', for a little bit more
Even though I didn't want to be the one to kick down that door
Baby I was prayin', a prayin' to believe
There was something for - something more - out there waiting for me

Cuz maybe I'm crazy, for chasing that dream
It hasn't been easy, like some make it seem
I can't help but feeling, my best is yet to be
Cuz somewhere there's something better waiting for me

Should I just be happy, with nowhere to go?
And no mystery calling me to the great unknown?
Should I keep pretending, pretending to see?
To live a lie - live and die - no that just ain't me

Cuz maybe I'm crazy, for chasing that dream
It hasn't been easy, like some make it seem
I can't help but feeling, the best is yet to be
Cuz somewhere there's something better waiting for me

You can call me greedy - come along or leave me
There's somewhere that I gotta go yeah
But I don't know the reason, but that's what keeps me breathin'
It's the only thing I've ever known -- yeah!

(Lead Break)

Maybe I'm crazy, for chasing that dream
It hasn't been easy, like some make it seem
I can't help but feeling, my best is yet to be
Cuz somewhere there's something better waiting for me

No it hasn't been easy, like some make it seem
Yeah I'm crazy for chasin' that dream
No that just ain't me
Like some make it seem

But somewhere there's something better waiting for me

"Waiting for Me" by Joe Bonamassa

In the Burning

All the oceans have lifted
The voice of their pounding waves will cry
Lord of life, so vast
You invest in a broken soul
all the love, all the love, all the love

in the burning
I get the feeling
My senses are far too small
to contain Your fire
You are so beautiful, like no ohter
I am burning for You

I cry from a world that demands my affection
I pray for the light that will guide my eyes
You are radiant brilliance
You provide for a darkened soul
all the love, all the love, all the love

in the burning
I get the feeling
My senses are far too small
to contain Your fire
You are so beautiful, like no ohter
I am burning for You

In the fire I will find You
for Your great heart
I long for you, Messiah
In the tears I won't cease to see
that You are Holy, oh Lord

I am so close, I am so weak
I am so strong, I am so wrapped up
I am so close, I am so weak
I am so strong, I am so wrapped up

in the burning
I get the feeling
My senses are far too small
to contain Your fire
You are so beautiful, like no ohter
I am burning for You

"In the burning" by Something Like Silas

Luke 24:13-35

originally written August 18

Luke 24:13 ¶ And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.

Luke 24:14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.

Luke 24:15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.

Luke 24:16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

Luke 24:17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad.

Luke 24:18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”

Luke 24:19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,

Luke 24:20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.

Luke 24:21 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.

Luke 24:22 “But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,

Luke 24:23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.

Luke 24:24 “Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”

Luke 24:25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

Luke 24:26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

Luke 24:27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Luke 24:28 ¶ And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther.

Luke 24:29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.

Luke 24:30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.

Luke 24:31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Luke 24:32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

Luke 24:33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,

Luke 24:34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.”

Luke 24:35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

There are times in all our lives where we walk a road and we feel that our hope in God has died, yet we can't let go of what happened. These men had seen the One they had placed their hope in nailed to a cross and murdered. Others told them that their Hope was still alive, but these men obviously struggled. There have been times when I've walked a road with my hopes dashed against the rocks and my faith struggling. Others tell me that God is moving and that there is Hope, and I struggle. Jesus was so gentle with these men. He didn't suddenly reveal Himself and chastise them for their lack of faith. He didn't leave them to walk the road alone. He walked next to them as they struggled and He guided them in Truth to understand the things they could not yet see. These men were faithful in a sense, they continued to seek to understand the things they could not yet see and they continued to reach out even in the midst of their pain. It was when Jesus sat down to eat them with, to share in communion with them, that Jesus opened their eyes and they were able to understand. Jesus didn't make belief a condition for fellowship, He made fellowship the place where He revealed Himself. He didn't make that full revelation a permanent thing though, He revealed Himself enough to restore their Hope and then He hid Himself again. During all this time these men had a burning in their heart that there was more going on than they could see. Their hearts burned, they struggled, and they continued to walk the road despite all their struggles. There are many times when I walk the road and all I have to keep me walking is the burning in my heart. I listen as others share their stories of Hope, I seek to pay attention to Truth even though I don't fully understand, and I seek fellowship that He may be revealed in that fellowship. Many times my eyes are closed and I don't see, yet I keep walking and Hoping.

Grace

Originally written August 18

I've been dealing with a lot of self hatred lately. I've been
through some painful things and I've aimed the blame for all the pain
at myself. God is beginning to wake me up to something though. I
think one of the reasons that I blame myself is because in the midst
of pain I'm looking for someone to blame. It seems safer to blame
myself. If I'm mad at myself then it doesn't hurt anyone else and
they aren't going to lash out at me. However, as long as blame is
floating around there can be no forgiveness, no Grace. If there is
no Grace, then there can be no healing. God has forgiven me, He has
washed me clean. There is no blame anymore, Jesus has taken it all
upon Himself and He paid the penalty for all blame.

Anger is a natural, God designed emotion. It isn't always wrong, but
many times we express it wrongly. As we read the Bible the times
where we see God and Jesus angry are times when people are relating
to Him wrongly. Right relationship with Him turns away anger. Anger
is expressed in order to motivate others to a right relationship.
When a friend betrays us, we are right to be angry. However, our
anger should not be expressed in order to cause the other person
pain. Rather, it should be expressed in order to restore right
relationship.

I suppose that much of my anger against myself lately has a pretty
solid justification, I acted wrongly against other people. However,
much of my anger was expressed in order to cause harm. Rather, I
should examine the cause of my anger and move to restore right
relationship, with both myself and those I wronged. However, as I
move to restore right relationship, I must also give the blame to the
One that took my punishment for my wrongs. Jesus took my sin to the
Cross, my sin is no more. The New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:33-34
tells us that God remembers our sin no more. If God doesn't remember
my sin anymore, what grounds do I have for remembering it?