Here and Now

Charlotte

2008-08-13T19:48:00.003-04:00

"If the experience doesn't lead you to depend on God, you've missed the point of the experience." (said by a speaker at the National Fine Arts Festival for the Assemblies of God, Charlotte, NC) Amen, brother.

I see in part...

God sees in full.

August Rush

2008-07-17T22:12:00.001-04:00

Concerning the music...

Evan: "So only some of us can hear it?"
Wizard: "Only some of us are listening."

The music is all around us. All you have to do is listen.

Love

2008-07-16T22:44:00.001-04:00

Nana lovin' up on Grammie...
...and Grammie returnin' the love.

The Beauty of a Child

2008-07-16T22:42:00.002-04:00

The gift of color

2008-07-10T22:09:00.003-04:00

At the end of last year, Papa said, "What you'll see in 2008 will be the difference between black & white and full technicolor. Remember the Wizard of Oz? Oz was in full color. Oz is My heart... full color, full fragrance, full beauty, full life. That's My love. That's My heart."

He's been revealing His colorful love a lot lately.

2008-07-06T21:20:00.001-04:00

(I posted this on my xanga site tonight at eyes_to_eternity.)

Four months after my husband Dave's death on July 5, 2005 I began this xanga blog. It was a really healthy thing for me. Before that I was journaling hours on my computer, and my emotions and thoughts were all over the place. I continued to journal, but blogging helped me express things in a more succinct way, and helped me hear what I was saying and what God was saying. Also, commenting on and reading others' blogs got me outside of myself a little.

I've changed a lot since I began xanga-ing. Back then I was in the depths of fresh grief. Everything was about people getting saved so they could be in heaven forever. I was so focused on that because I wanted to be there myself, so I could be with Dave (oh yeah - and Jesus would be there too). Even the name of this site -- eyes to eternity -- moreso spoke of my desire to be off the earth and in heaven than to keep an eternal perspective. (Hmmm, even my understanding of "keeping an eternal perspective" has changed. I used to think everything was about us getting to heaven. Now I feel it's about keeping our eyes on the One who is eternal. It's not about us. It is about Him.)

Anyways, this site has served me well and hopefully has served Jesus. But it's time to move on to a blog that better reflects what God is saying to me now. Here and now. That's what He's saying... That life is to be lived now. If my eyes are on eternity, and if I'm too focused on people getting to heaven, I'll miss what Papa wants now. He wants us to be changed from glory to glory, into the likeness of His Son, to bring Him honor now, for it to be on earth, as it is in heaven - for His glory and fame.

I'm not saying that I don't want people to go to heaven. But I am saying that it's not my primary motivation. God's glory is first, not people being eternally happy. Jesus went to the cross to glorify His Father, and Jesus deserves the reward of His suffering - which is the love, honor, obedience, and following of every human being now and into eternity.

Through His sonship and sacrifice, Jesus became the way, the truth, and the life. If we know Jesus now, we will have true life now. That life will change us over and over again as we choose to die to ourselves and live for Him. And through us living life now Jesus will receive His reward and our Father will receive glory.

So to honor the changes that God has been and is making in me, I have a new blog: http://livinglifehereandnow.blogspot.com/. It seems like it'll be more images and fewer words coz that's how Papa has been speaking to me lately. And expression through images is also part of the change that He's doing in me. I like it.

May you be blessed with continual change, transition, and transformation in your life. In that conflict you will find your God.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. 1 John 4:16

2008-07-05T01:01:00.001-04:00

2008-07-05T00:38:00.002-04:00

"The earth laughs in flowers."

2008-07-05T00:32:00.003-04:00

May 28th Papa took me to a river and spoke to me about trust, worship, and being. That day began a new song of worship for me -- the song of the river. Now on July 5th, the 3 year anniversary of my husband Dave's death, it seems fitting to begin this blog and share some of the new melody that is coming through photos and words.

I said, "What does living look like? Maybe it looks like a river flowing. Just simply flowing. Going and moving to the next place. Occupying space as it moves. Constantly moving in ease. Making the sound that water makes as it moves. Pooling quietly sometimes. Whirling. Gurgling. Rushing. Resting."

Papa said, "All the questions you ask of Me, I have answers for. But I won't give you the answers all at one time. There's a process of discovery -- of journeying. Of worshiping as you wrestle. There is a river that makes My city glad. Rejoice and be glad. Because wherever the river flows, everything will live. Be that river that flows from My throne. Worship Me at My throne, then flow swiftly and freely to others. I've create you to be immersed in Me. Choose right now to live and love."

I choose to live life here and now.