hey everyone

i've been doing pretty good lately... i love april :) happy birthday Jeff, Jordan, and Jared! the sun is the greatest! i love it.. it's like the weekend of summer... i shouldn't be inside right now, but i'm trying to figure out what i'm doing today...

ok you know the whole situation with God wanting me to be a friend to the friendless and stuff? well.. i have been talking to the person and i got their e-mail and everything! so its going good. the past few months i knew i needed to start being their friend and i was like "no i don't want to, God!" and so i didn't for like 3 and a half months.. it made me feel like God was mad at me because i didn't want to obey Him and so it was effecting our relationship. i felt so bad and that i couldn't get close. when i was trying to sing worship songs, sometimes i'll be like "well... i don't mean this God, help me mean it! help me want to do it!" and so i felt like i was drifting off or like falling asleep.. i wasn't spending as much time with Jesus as i used to and stuff... and i was feeling discouraged because of the whole thing. then like a week ago God was like "WAKE UP christine! it's ok" so now since i've been actually doing what God's been telling me, i feel way better and that i can have freedom coming before him and talking to him and stuff. it's tres bon!

i'm on my third time reading "the unquenchable worshipper" by matt redman (good book!) and i'm going to write a couple things from the first chapter that really encouraged me to keep my flame burning...

"too often my worship is tamed by the complications and struggles of this world, but i long to be in a place where my fire for God cannot be quenched or washed away, even by the mightiest rivers of opposition- i long for worship that can never be extinguished."

"situations change from better or for worse, but God's worth never changes"

"the heart of God loves a perservering worshipper who, though overwhelmed by many troubles, is overwhelmed even more by the beauty of God"

"...to this day, every breath we breath is a reminder of our maker, and every hour holds the possibillity of living in his presence. we simply need to keep putting ourselves into that place..."

i guess that's it... i'll leave you with a verse:

Love is as strong as death, it's jealousy unyeilding as the grave. it burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.

song of songs 8:6-7


~christine~