To: My sisters who have yet to experience True Love

Breathe in Life

V1:

A spit in her face, a stab to the back

"Why is he leaving? What is it she lacks?"

A clouded mind, was it all a waste of time?

She pulls her knees to her chest as she cries

Tears taint her beautiful face, as she tries to wash it all away

PC1:

She walks back

to all her stuff

unneeded, discarded

abandoned, unwanted

No, he never wanted what she came to have

CH:

Come in, sit down

Nourish your soul with all that is good

Taste what is sweet

Let your guard down

and love will come

Caress your skin

Heal all your hurt within

Complete your heart with what you've been longing for

There's no more need to fight

Now come and lift your eyes

and breathe in Life

V2:

The truth is I've never seen her cry

and now she's sobbing because of this guy

who came and took whatever he pleased

and leaves her crying into her knees

PC2:

Beloved I know a place

where you can rest your head tonight

in the arms of the Man

who holds every tear you cry

He's beckoning to you

can you hear him call out?

CH

Bridge:

Embrace your beauty

step into Life and breathe

There's such thing as True Love

and He'll never wanna leave

let him cover you

let him cover you

cover you

cover you

Breathe

CH

Show Me Your Glory

I've noticed that most of these are posted either really late at night or super early in the morning...this is because I spend all day thinking about if I really wanna post something...oohhhhh pride...

"Show Me Your Glory"  090808

You've told me to change the world

loving one person at a time

with the kind of kindness you've shown me

and to no longer disown these

whom society has cast to the side

given over to die and rot

who are forgotten and misplaced

with spit in their faces

Go to those places, you say,

dare to make their day,

even with a simple 'hey, how are you can I pray for you' type of love.

Show them their Heavenly Father still hears them from above

and wants to, yearns to, desires to reach out and

heal the land that's been ravaged and torn

This is what you are born for, you say,

Not to be normal according to the standards of that rock you live on

but to BE transformed and molded

into the likeness of Jesus, 

the one I sent to be spent on a price He didn't have to pay

so you don't have to say or do anything

in order to make your way back to me

Tell the world the things I speak

in this bleak and diseased land

be my hands and feet.

Okay...okay God I'll go

but first, teach me your way

so I can stay in your favor

and correctly love on my neighbor

with your eyes and your mind

in your will, on your time

I want you, not me, to shine

cuz only you, not me, can bring forth divine power

to shower the city with what is to be your Kingdom

there are billions of people out there, God

only you can bring them home

to show them, blow them away with your

grace and mercy

which is by itself entirely beyond me

so please

guide my hand

help me to stand firm

to learn the servant's heart

in humility and justice

step by step help me to trust this

I need you, Jesus

come be my strength

be the power in my weakness because I'm ready to break

Yes, you say.  Yes

Go. My spirit will be near to you

Give you rest when you're spent out

bent out of shape

you will take refuge in my name

in which any and all things hold together

for better or worse

I will be with you whether you feel blessed or at your worst

for you, you who are poor in spirit

yours is the Kingdom of God

to bring forth to the earth what is heavenly

and this truth you shall see, my child,

that less of you will be more of me

YES, Lord

SHOW me your glory!

Have the blind see, Lord

SHOW me your glory!

Raise the dead! Heal the sick!

SHOW me your glory!

Feed the hungry

have anyone among me know that you are holy

SHOW my your glory!

Let your Holy Spirit invade the earth before me

I command it!

with all that I am

These hands are yours

let your glory surge forth

purging the darkness from your children

reclaim this place today

seal me with the confidence

to take pain, endure brokenness

all so that the focus will be on your glory

that's all I wanna see

your glory

all I wanna speak

your glory

wanna feel, confess, and need

your glory...

...because there is nothing like the freedom brought from it

I commit to you my life

I quit mine a long, long time ago

it's yours to use

to tell the world the things you speak

in this bleak and diseased land

let your hands and feet be mine

to let your glory shine

I wanna see it

wanna be in it

face to the floor

or straight up to the sky

show me your glory

let your face from me not hide, Lord

show me your glory...

Full Moon

I went to Paikos tonight, a beach I go to when it's full moon, to jam a little bit, worship and just soak in His presence.  The moon just permeated everything.  It was so beautiful: the silver of the ocean's surface, the slight breeze that seemed to caress my face.  Everything the moonlight touched danced in praise to their Creator.  I felt so small and inadequate.  I was playing music and singing, but there didn't seem to be anything I could play or sing that could compliment the beauty that was already set in motion around me.  It's like I was trying to catch up to what everything was already doing: innately worshipping.  I started just singing Jesus' name at the top of my lungs.  I wanted Him to hear me.  I wanted to give Him all I could muster up inside of me to praise Him because I didn't know what to do with myself.  His beauty was emanating all around me and I didn't know how to respond except cry out.  I told Him I need help, and that I know He has more for me, but i'm scared to take it, because I didn't wanna do it alone.

Then I hear the faintest whisper spoken to my heart.  So simple.  Something I've heard a thousand times before but never felt the assurance of it until now:

I am with you wherever you go.

Not just a promise.  A statement.  Truth.

...and that's all I have to say about that.

Church

Dearest Hollywood,

I just watched your production of "Four Christmases" and was heartbroken at you portrayal of church.  Yes, it's funny, and it does exist in America more and more these days: church being a huge production, like a theatrical performance that you have to dress up, go through all the motions and say all the right things for.  I'm not heartbroken because of the way you did it, im heartbroken because it's true, and you do a great job of putting it onto film, not just in this movie, but in past movies too.

But is there someone out there, anyone who values reality more than entertainment? Lifechange more than satire? Will anyone be daring enough to put onto film a church, a true body of Christ that is real and loves people? A church that maybe meets at a park, in a garage, or a prison chapel? Because there are churches out there that are reclaiming the Church as the Body of Christ and going into their communities, maybe having no idea what they're doing except trying to love people.  Is that not film worthy? Can you put away the fact that entertainment and satire sell and show the world that Jesus still lives and breathes in some churches?

Because He does, and I'm yearning for people to see that church doesn't have to be tainted with images of a large building with a cross towering over them, but that the word "church" can be the faces of people loving and being loved by their Savior,  and in direct response loving and serving others, with eyes full of hope and desperation to see redemption and reconciliation take place.  I want people to know that the people are the church.  Without them, it's just a building.  A piece of architecture that took months and months to build but can be demolished overnight. 

I just want people to know that they don't have to be anything to come to church.

That Jesus lives for the ordinary, simple and normal people

and yearns to bring abundance and overflow into their lives.

And no, there's no satire or entertainment in that,

but there is 

raw

bare

undeniable

Life.

Thank you for your time.

Elise

Unleashed Potential

Gen. 29

God shows His love for women a lot by opening them up so they can have children.  I guess that's a big thing because women were expected to solely bear children and take care of the house back then.

Both Leah and Rachel were barren.  I don't know if Jacob knew that or not, but he still loved Rachel, and worked for her for basically 14 years of his life.  

So it's like God loves us even though we're not useful yet, but just because of who we are, then when we step into a relationship with him, he unleashes our potential and works through us to bring His kingdom. 

Unleashed potential...isn't that like physics stuff? An object has so much potential but none of it is used unless the object has a source that sets it in motion or brings it into contact with another object.

God is that catalyst.  When he touches our hearts, our potential is unleashed, and we are overwhelmed by his love and his works.  We're set in motion to do whatever it is we're supposed to do.

So the question isn't, "Why isn't God using me?" or "why isn't my potential being released?".  I think it's, "Am I fully allowing Jesus to set me in motion?"

..I never thought i'd ever think about things i learned in high school physics ever again.  Study hard, kids!

Shame

121908

Shame

"Why did I do that" kinda shame

"Why didn't I just do it" kinda shame

"I could have

would have

should have"

kinda shame

"Hide my face in my hands" kinda shame

"Why can't I just trust in your plans" kinda shame

It haunts me

and as much as I deny it's presence

when I'm on the ground

an open target

it's response is simple, but cuts me deep:

"LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE"

The King of the universe comes and gives his only Son

and this is how you repay him?

disobedience

SHAME

dishonor

SHAME

you can never make him proud

SHAME

SHAME

SHAME

on you!

God why do I do what I do?

I knew what I was doing and yet I did it

SHAME on me, God

I deserve nothing

I can never measure up

how could I even try to measure up

I don't think I have a ruler that goes that high...

..it would be easier if I just act like it's not there

to live and die

with my shame inside

to hide my

ugly, dirty, self-seeking heart

and just try to be better

to aim for the mark

that i'll always miss....

grace

"Yes, you did do that"

grace

"True, you didn't think through"

grace

"you could have

should have

but didn't"

grace

"You don't have to hide your face" kinda grace

"because I wanna look into your eyes and just say,

'Hey, I love you, my child.  I love you.

Before you knew time

I love you

Before I placed those stars in the sky

I love you

Shame shakes and trembles when I am around

it flees

because I bring you victory

'Yes, you can stop' kinda victory

'and it IS possible to never give it another thought' kinda victory

and no, you can't measure up

which is why I came down to you

to show you

grace

love

and victory

leave shame trembling in the shadows

come take a dip with me

dive into my

immense

never-ending

ocean

of

rest

yes, it's big and powerful

but you are my blessed and beloved

and I am at my best when you're at your weakest

I love you

come with me

I love you

let's go do victory

in grace

and through love."

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12:2

A little more

Hey,

Jesus wants me to start sharing my stuff more regularly, so here you go.  

This was just reflecting on 2008.  I really wish there was a month and a half or so left of 2008, but hey, time doesn't know mercy =) ohhhh Jesus...

A little more lost

A little more found

A little more up

A little more down

A little more questions

A little more peace

A little more Jesus

and less of Elise

A little more plans

even more left uncertain

more responsibility

becomes less and less of a burden

Went a little more deep

with a little more faith

with a little more vision

of Your heart for this place

A little more grace

A little more love

A little more passion

from my Savior above

Who never lets down

and never gives up

living and breathing

who's always enough

who takes this past year

a little this, a little that

and makes something so beautiful

that I'm taken aback

The God of the World

took little Elise

and broke me apart

so that I could see

that its more about Him

and less about me

and that a little more Jesus

is all that I need

Happy 2009