Hey, amazing post

hope you had a great weekend

"Would you give yourself all to HIM to follow HIM?"  YES! I give HIM myself as a Living Sacrifice. He has done SO MUCH for me already, there is NOTHING that I wouldn't do for HIM. Because if He tells me to do something -- WHATEVER it is -- I have nothing to fear because HE is FOR ME and not against me. He is my Shield and my Protector.

RYC: No, we have not had blackouts at our house -- but my neighbor across the street told me this morning that her electricity had gone out twice yesterday and last week it was off for a whole day. IT IS TERRIBLY HOT OUTSIDE. I was outside at 6 AM this morning to feed my turtles. I had changed their water last night so it would (hopefully) be cold this morning. Both of them were in the water already, so I just threw their food in. This is the 17th day of HOT WEATHER.  I'm glad I'm on my way to Heaven and not to YOUKNOWWHERE!!!  ~Carolyn         

Man, I sure hope I would! I have a sister who always says, would you give up your child to follow God? - I hate that question, I don't know how Abraham did it, thankfully, he didn't have to follow thru w/ it!

Good job on the post!

There are indeed alot of ways people can exploit Christianity. Check out http://www.xanga.com/Jesus 's  August 28, 2005 entry.

Yes Im somewhat interested in astronomy. Then again I am interested in alot of things.

i live mainly with my mom, but at my dad's this weekend. the time with each is split almost evenly though...so it's both.

awesome post.

THe link is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silmido_(film)   glad your pastor came back to tell of his missions trip in philiphines =)  yeah, now that you mention it, i avhen't thought of it liket aht till now. today the cross really IS like a fashion statement with the rappers and their huge crosses and stuff =/

Jim, there is nothing cryptic about that last blog, believe me. I related the events exactly as they happened. I just wanted to paint a picture of my evening, washing my car while it was raining. Not the brightest thing I've ever done, but it was something I've enjoyed the most all week long.

Someday I will make you a great big pitcher of lemonade...

I will be at church on Friday, but not for FOCUS, drat!! I am going to be in a wedding rehearsal in the Sanctuary... my sister and I are singing during the ceremony.
Keep that in prayer actually.
Because it should be very interesting.

I am trying to pick up my cross. I wished that it were lighter, but really what I want is the strength to carry the heaviest cross yet. I'm getting there.

I hope you are well.

Your pastor is right we all need to be humble and die to self only then can we be truly in the way of Jesus . this is what taking up the cross an following Him is all about to me . I use to just set and cry when I thought how someone could die like that for me and would pray to God that He could bring me back to that time and let me bare the pain and death for someone so good . Silly yes and unproductive ,I know but that is how I felt , but God would remind me that Christ alone was the only one who could do it . We can not bare His cross but we can follow Him in the way , submit to His authority in our lives , Trust on the promise , and obey with Love in our hearts for what He did . If we let this transform us daily more into His likeness then we will met the Goal of the Father for us that day .

In His hope ,

Barry

The cross-recliner really elicited a strong emotional response from me.  I don't know why, but I think I needed to see it.

We gradually come to know Jesus' love for us by repeatedly using him as our benchmark against our own behaviors and failings.  We need to wallow in whatever it is that makes us most sensitive to his teaching and reproach.  His sacrifice was enough for all of us, but then we are all called to try and fill his shoes in helping minister to others.

"Would you give yourself all to HIM to follow HIM?"  Many times it depends how we view the Christian life, with the initial focus on ourselves or on Him?  If we realzie we are not our own, that we have been bought out of slavery to and from our former "master", who gives us the only true freedom to serve Him, the only question that truly remains is how can we serve Him is His kingdom.