When the saints

Go here and click the play button on the right and listen to this song.

Pay particular attention towards the end of the song.

Just does something to me.



Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I cannot let it go

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it often overwhelms me
but when I think of all who've gone before and lived the faithful life
their courage compells me
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord

I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

I see the young missionary and the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear

I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sisters standing by the dying man's side

I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door

I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them





We are not alone.

Many have gone before us and done incredible, impossible, inconceivable things to bring hope, justice, and love to a VERY injustice, hopeless, and self-defeating world.

Do not think its impossible for a second.
Well actually, go ahead and think its impossible, because it is.

But then remember that we were sent into a extremely messed up world for the purpose of doing the impossible.
And its not like we don't have examples to prove to us the possibility of doing the impossible with a mighty God.
I'm almost positive that if I lived in the 1820's, I would have thought that it would be impossible to end slavery. I truly would have thought that.
Thank God some people did not think it was impossible. OR thank God some people knew it was impossible, but believed in and followed a God of impossibilities.

If I was Elizabeth Elliot and her friends, I'm pretty sure I would have thought it would be impossible for the Waodoni people to live in peace and know Jesus, AND THAT I would be one of the people to share that with them AFTER they murdered my husband.
Good thing God empowered her.

Living right now today, I believe it's almost impossible to free the girls in the brothels in India right now, but good thing Kate Brushnell did not believe it was impossible for God to free the girls that were being forced into prostitution during slavery in America.
And good thing there are men and women at International Justice Mission right now, today, freeing those girls from the brothels, because they are following a God of impossibilities.


I want to be one of them.

Ancient Discipline?

I listened to someone talk about some "ancient disciplines."

Things like: fasting, taking communion, reading liturgy, and others I can't remember.
One of them that stuck out to me was: praying at certain times a day, every day.

This kind of made something in me rise up and say 'no, that is too legalistic. That's a box. I don't like boxes.'

But when I really thought about it, I found some solid truth in it, so I decided to just try it out.

She recommended praying at 9, 12, 3, 6, and 9-o'clock. You stop whatever you're doing and you just say a little prayer. If you're at work, just stop for less than a minute and pray about something. Talk to our Father. If you're not doing anything, than you can pray longer! Just whatever. Just a reminder to talk to him in our crazy, busy world

And the point of it is to know that there are others, in the body of christ, praying at the same time as you. It's community. It's uniting your spirits, no matter where you may be. Now, you have to get others to do it with you in your community for that part to be true. Which is what I'm hoping will happen. =)

I've been doing it for like 3 weeks.

When I first thought about it, I thought there was no way it would work because I would just forget....then I realized that my cell phone comes with all these different alarms you can set that, up until now, I had no purpose for! So I set them for noon, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00. (i'm not awake at 9 am a lot so ill skip that).
Most of the time the alarm goes off, I'm with people, talking or something. So I just don't do it right then. (But its still a nice reminded to be thinking about my Father) And that's okay. Other times, I'm doing something alone, so I can stop for about a minute and just lift some things up to Daddy that have been going on in the past few hours. Other times, I'm driving or I'm not really doing much, so I can pray for much longer. But those times are few and far between.

Another thing I first thought about was, 'well juliette, you're kind of always talking to Father, aren't you? Something comes to mind, and you just start talking to him about it. So will this be any different? Why would I need to schedule a time for it, when its a normal almost moment to moment sort of conversation.' So I tried it out to see if that was the case.

Turns out it IS a little different.

First off, Juliette needs things to make her just STOP sometimes, because she is always going, going, going in that head of hers. Even when she's talking to Daddy, it just can get a little crazy and all jumbled together. So this is a time where a physical alarm goes off that then triggers a spiritual and mental alarm inside of me, saying "Stop whatever you're doing or thinking, Juliette, and just breath and talk to your Father. Talk to him about what you're thinking crazily about." And that has been great for me, even when its just one minute.
One minute is better than no minute, eh?

Second off, this will provide a more communal spirit than just praying and talking to God whenever it happens through out my day. Of course, I continue to do taht, but it would be great to know that at these certain times there are other brothers and sisters praying with me. We may be praying about the same things sometimes and most of the time it might be completely different. Who knows!

So I feel no legalism; no boxes; no failures. None of that poop. Just a reminded every now and then, and if I can do it, then I do it! And if not, then oh well!

My invitation to those reading this: join me!
The times are there. Set your own physical or mental alarms.
Do whatever.
Let me know if you would like to try this so we can know we're doing to at the same time.

If its not for you, that's totally cool. I'm just offering, in case some one is interested!

I saw what I saw

Watch this.

I saw what I saw

In the words of my dear friend, Blaire,

"How often have we seen injustice/pain/poverty/etc. and just let it roll right off us?

We're numb to the things around us that don't directly effect us."

We truly are numb to the things around us that don't directly effect us.

And I don't want to be numb.

I admit, sometimes the pain is too much for me to handle and my emotions get out of control about it all.

But it's better than being numb.

There is no life in numbness, can't we agree on that?

If you've felt true numbness in your own life, you know there is no true life in that.

Well I don't want to be numb to others' lives either.

Because we are deeply connected. We are one body. So I can not be numb if the rest of my body is not.

No boxes, just love.

For some reason, the Lord likes to open my mind up to Him more than usual when I'm at work and supposed to be working on a computer. It is mindless activity and my mind can never slow down, so maybe that's why.

Here are some things He told me to write down yesterday, instead of working....

This is what I'm meant for.
This is abundant life.
Going to sick, dark people, places, and situations and bringing life to where there seems to be little of it.
I have no power over a person's eternal state. Whether they go to heaven or hell.
That is only is God's hands and I am naive and prideful to think that I determine where they go.
Plus, who knows when that time will arise for them. Today or 50 years from now?
But, not only can I, but I am MEANT TO BE Jesus' hands and feet in the current hells that people are living in. Right now.
Today.
This moment that you are reading this.
Literal hells.
Take everything you've learned about hell and try to wrap your head around the fact that people are leaving in that right now-some physically, some mentally, some emotionally, some spiritually. And many people--all of those kinds of hells at once.
Right now. Not only when they die.


And Jesus said to be his hands and feet and be apart of bringing them redemption and salvation.
Salvation: being apart of saving people from their current hells and trusting their eternal states with the Powerful One because you've done all you can by sharing your time, resources, comfort, and love with them. (this is all Jesus said to do. He didn't say you have the power and judgment to send people to heaven or hell eternally.)

Redemption: find the darkness. open your eyes and look for the horrible people, places, and situations. Figure out what would be light to that darkness. Figure out what would be just a piece of making that messed up stuff more whole.

This may be a little more easier (and biblical): figure out what you would want someone to do for you if you were_________. (being forced to have sex with people; being beaten every day; had no opportunity to an education; forced & brainwashed to kill people at the age of 10; had no idea what a mother or a father was; had a deadly disease that ate away your organs so you couldnt help anyone or take care of your family; had no water whatsoever)

Figure out what you would want people to do for you. (this shouldnt be to hard)
Take some time to research what the Body of Christ around the world and right around your town is already doing.
Ask the Lord what he wants you to sacrifice (not talking so much about financially here) to be apart of the Kingdom of salvation and redemption.

Simple.
No rules.
No boxes to fit yourself into.
No boxes to fit Jesus in.
No right answers.

Just ask Him.

Just take some valuable time. Just be open.
Just sacrifice. (ha, "just")
Just be about salvation and redemption.
Those words that have lost meaning because we throw them around so much. (redefine them for yourself if you need to. I had to)

You want abundant/full/intoxicating life?
Stop trying to figure out what seems natural and comfortable and figure out what Jesus talked most about and did the most.
And that will fill you. And intoxicate you.
Do whatever you need to do to figure it out.
Go through the Bible.
Look at Jesus life from different perspectives.
Pray pray pray. Ask the Lord to show us in ways we've never known before.
Research what's going on already.


I simply can not think about the undeserved, unconditional love that my Daddy has poured out on me; I can't think about the people he's used to do that; I can't think about the fact that I kept spitting in his face and turning from him and yet he POURS out grace on me and blesses me and gives me immense joy anyways; I can't think about the redemption/transformation of the way I think, the way I love people, the way i do life, the way I struggle deep, dark things---I can not think about all of that stuff and not feel a beautiful, deep, joyful compulsion to share those same things with people who HAVE NO IDEA they can experience this!

And this is just a bonus:

politics or love
can make you blind or make you see
make you a slave or make you free
but only one does it all

and it’s giving up your life
for the ones you hate the most
it’s giving them your gown
when they’ve taken your clothes

it’s learning to admit
when you’ve had a hand in setting them up
in knocking them down

love is not against the law
love is not against the law

are we defending life
when we just pick and choose
lives acceptable to lose
and which ones to defend

‘cause you cannot choose your friends
but you choose your enemies
and what if they were one
one and the same

could you find a way
to love them both the same
to give them your name

-good ol D. Webb

just read the words

Tonight at the end of light
Tonight, I feel lonely
I thought I heard my heart stop beating
I long for you to hold me

I guess I feel like Eden
The twilight tried it’s best
Tonight I feel good and evil
Against my chest

Would I love you less or better
If I didn’t miss your face?
Read your words like a love letter
Would I have known your grace?

I guess I feel like Eden

Aware of all I am

Tonight I feel good and evil

Against my skin

We’re all homesick
Is love the reason?

My hunger led me to your hope
Until the end of this colder season
Keep us warm

Cause we are always Eden
The day after she fell
We feel good and evil

And choose which one to tell

When all we have is music
You’re a little more like me
We’ve come too far to lose it
This state of imagery

When nothings real and nothings wrong

That’s my favorite part to see
We dance around and we sing our songs

There’s nothing like the wings of an angel

When all the stars are glowing
Wide awake but deep in a dream
Unconscious of any motion

Save for the movement in me

And I know that this will always be
our perfect in-between
so maybe somehow we can help them see

There’s nothing like the wings of an angel

Entranced in sweet obsession
such a complete expression of myself

cause I know where I am planted
deep in a love transcending everything

When all we have is music
You’re a little more like me

I guess I need to choose
But today I am confused and losing ground
Is this part of some plan?
The rise and fall of man?
I can’t be sure

When I’m away from my source of peace
Something fills that space in me

And it feels like I don’t need you

It’s easy to get by
When I don’t even try to find the truth

Today I learned that faith
Is not to be obtained like a place I can go

It’s more of a choice than a feeling
More of a wound than healing

The act of believing in you

But maybe this is where I grow
When I admit that I don’t know

I like to say my college
Is living in this town

Some days what seems hardest
Is simply sticking around

With so much to see
Places that I’ve yet to be

And I like to say my colleague
Is the mother at the store
The man who serves me coffee
And john who lives next door

We all study life
Learning how to make things right

We wanna change the world
We wanna make you proud

But lately I’ve come to learn
That it might start here and now

Cause sometimes I look too hard at the big things
When the best thing I can do is love you

Josue tells me stories about his home down south
His mother can’t cross the border
But he’s trying to get her out
He names a price

And turns so I won’t see him cry

People make me hungry
But people keep me sane

Josue taught me more than a professor could explain
About working hard
And using what I have to do my part

But how do I get to love?
I’ll start unselfishly

Can I hold out my hands?
Do they even belong to me?
How do I get to love?

I guess it starts inside of me

-alli rogers
good words.
they do things to me.
good words to share.

house

Have you ever watched an artist
skillfully craft a work of art
from nothing into something magnificent?
A painting? A drawing?
Canvas white; white as snow
Clean start
He’ll take it wherever he wants to go
Watch closely;
you can never reconstruct those moments,
just like the artist can not reproduce
the exact same piece of art

What about a baby?
Ever watch it develop in the womb?
Then watch as her parents, and the world,
sketch out who she becomes
Mind is white; white as snow
They’ll take her wherever they want to go
Watch closely

But what about an old house?
One with life and character of its own
Stains on the walls and ceilings
Unleveled ground here and there
Filled with dirt and dead bugs
Light switches that no one knows what they turn on
A cubby hole in the wall where the telephone used to go

Ever watch someone come in and find
a use for the old, useless holes?
Ever watch them give the switches a new purpose-
to light up the house?
Watch them clean out the dirt and death?
Watch them make the ground level
so that everything that’s put on it will not topple anymore?
Watch them, not just paint over the stains,
but tear down the sheet rock and put up clean white walls?
Or colorfully painted walls?
Watch closely

Watch the former owner walk around the house
and not recognize a thing
Watch her not even know where to walk
A friend comes in and asks for a tour of the remodeled house
but she can not give one
Then watch closer
As the new owner takes the girl by the hand
and leads her through the house
He shows her all the things he repaired, replaced,
and made completely new
He shows her how to get from room to room
In some rooms, he spends much more time than others,
explaining every detail
When they get to the bottom of the stairs
He says “let’s wait till tomorrow for the upstairs.
I still have more work to do up there.
When I’m done, I’ll show you.
And then, I’ll come back downstairs from time to time
To touch up the things that wear down again.”
Watch the girl.
She looks troubled by the thought of things wearing down again
But he says, “Don’t worry, I bought this old house
for a mighty price.
I can’t leave.
I’ll be around here forever.
And I’ll continue to work on it every day.
You might even stumble upon something new every once in a while.
Just follow me through it and you’ll never get lost again.”

Watch the woman smile
This house was not a white canvas
This house was not a blank slate
But sometimes watching the old and dirty made new
is more magnificent then watching
the “nothing” or the “blank slate” be made into something
Especially when you’re the one inside the house
Keep watching
He’ll be working on that house until it’s a castle




“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of--throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

this is the birthday of life

i thank You God for most this amazing day:
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;
and for everything which is natural
which is infinite
which is
yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;
this is the birthday of life
and love
and wings:
and of
the gay, great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting
touching
hearing
seeing breathing
any-lifted from the
no of all nothing-human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake
and now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
-e.e. cummings