kudos

... to the band Nickelback.
Yes. Nickelback.
I've always liked them, but this latest album is incredible! They've really come into their own. They still have the edgy, rock sound, but you can tell there's more depth to the development process. The music is intelligent and intentional and the lyrics .... so good. There's a new level of maturity to this album and it's fantastic! I was listening to them on the way home, and actually said out loud in my car "I'm so proud of you guys!" 'cause I really am. I *love* hearing musicians develop. I love hearing their talent mature and deepen. I love it i love it i love it. l-o-v-e-i-t!!!
Nickelback hit one out of the park w/this album.
And if you get the chance, go here: http://music.aol.com/franchise/firstview.adp and watch their latest video. It's incredible!

oh.. just a p.s., Chad Kroeger should marry me. :-)

all i really want to do is inspire people

wow

so my roommate is moving to phoenix.
in like two weeks.
i'm so excited for her. she loves phoenix and has wanted to move there for a while. God really put it all together, which is awesome.
she's not selling the condo, which means that i get to stay here, which is awesome. it means, though, that i'm responsible for all the rent and utilities, which makes me a little nervous. it means i've got to stay serious about my business and even step it up a little. i'm not a very good pressure player sometimes. i get nervous and don't think clearly. and this is definitely a pressure player-type situation.
so i'm working on trusting God, following His lead. i'm working on trusting Him with the results of my efforts.
lots of stuff running through my head.
i'm going to miss Val. granted, she's not as far away as Billie or Christine. i'm still going to miss her. still, i'm excited for her. excited that she's got the courage to take this step. and i truly hope it's everything she expects it to be.

catching up

first, for those who don't know yet...
I'M GOING BACK TO AMSTERDAM!!!

woo hooo!! that's right. in a couple short months, this

will be my view! :)

and so will this:

needless to say i'm crazy excited. i'm also a little nervous about raising support so be praying. and you feel like this trip (or this missionary) is something you want to give to, so much the better! :)

i was watching the olymics tonight.. pair figure skating. man, how do they do the stuff they do.?!
in particular, the pair from china, Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao, blew me away. she fell at the beginning of their routine. landed right on her knee. they had to stop skating. but after a couple minutes, she went right back out on the ice and they finished the program! they even won the silver medal!! that kind of perseverance inspires me.

and now, i must go to sleep.
good night all. :)

i should be working but...

typing is theraputic so here it goes.
two things have been on my mind over the last day or so,

the first is something i heard from rob bell at mars hill. he says that when God created this world, He intended for us to do something with it. He intended for us to take care of it, make a good (or better) place. he also said that if you're bored, you're basically saying "yea, all this stuff You made? not really enough to hold my attention or gain my interest." and while that sounds harsh, it's true. there's so much to do in this world. so much that needs doing. i think of the times when i've sat at home thinking "i've got nothing to do." could there be clearer evidence that i'm out of touch w/God? this world is lost and dying and i can't think of anything to do? man.. talk about feeling convicted.

the other thing that's been on my mind is this idea (which seems to be a prevelant thought in a lot of churches these days) of "loving the unloveable". have i talked about this before? that phrase has always made me uncomfortable, but i couldn't figure out why. i was thinking about it one day and it hit me... how backwards that thinking is. to say that i'm going to learn to "love the unloveable" implies that my struggle to love other people is their fault. i mean, they *are* unloveable, so of course it's hard for me to love them.
the harsh reality is that my struggle to love others is *my* problem. the problem isn't that others are unloveable, it's that i can't (or won't) see what God sees. if i would just let God peel back the layers of junk from this world, and let Him show me who people really are, loving them wouldn't be such a chore. at the center of every person is a soul that is so beautiful, and captivating, and lovebale that God willingly sent His only Son, and Jesus willingly gave His life, for them. Yes, He sees our flaws and mistakes, but He doesn't *define* us by those things. He defines us by His heart towards us. and His heart says that each one of us is valuable. precious. loveable.
so the key to "learning to love the unloveable" is to first understand that they are loveable and that the "love" problem lies within your own heart. seeing people as unloveable is my problem. to quote one of my favorite movies (the abyss); "you have to see with better eyes than that." the key is to see past the exterior. see the soul that lies within, and define people by *that*, not by the things of this world.

read this this morning

"Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what give us victory." - 1John 5:4
I'm sure I've read this verse before, but it hit me hard this morning.
There's so much in this verse, that I don't know where to start. The first thing that struck me is that it's our faith that gives us victory. Not our "quiet time", our good behaviour, our ministry, our service... but our faith. Granted, our faith affects all those other areas. Faith gives us victory because it is the thing that will keep our feet planted. It is the thing that gives us the courage to fight. If we don't believe victory is possible, we won't fight for it. Like the old journey song says.. "don't stop believing".
Second... "every child of God can defeat the world.."
why have I never paid attention to that verse before!!?? every child can defeat the world. Not just tolerate or get through it or make the best of it, but defeat it. The New American Standard version reads "for whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world - our faith." The Greek word translated there as "defeat" or "overcome" is nikao, and literally means "to conquer" or "victory". One of the definitions is "[victory] of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions."

What power and hope there is in this verse!