The funny things we do...

Is it just me and my family that finds it odd and basically impossible to pour bottled water bought with hard earned cash down the drain? I mean, it's not like it's any different than the water that comes out of the tap but we felt it imperative that we use it...so my Nalgene is now full of the precious water and sitting in the fridge awaiting someone's worthy throat.

And further, does anyone else find it just even more tempting to go buy Starbucks drinks simply because they are served in an adorable Christmas cup with cute little sayings on them??

Or what about the sudden rise in my fruit consumption as I feel like I have to eat like 4 Mandarin oranges a day because they are SO good and they are only around this time of year! Anyone else...or is that just me...?

And then there is that avoidance of leaving the house due to the wetness coming from the clouds. It's just not fun to flatten your hair, have to put on a jacket, wear shoes that won't get soaked through and use the irritating windshield wipers. Maybe I should move...

Rude awakening

Dad woke me up this morning talking to Danae and I forced my eyelids open (seriously, it was hard work! It took TWO TRIES), saw that it was still dark and realized Danae was still here so it had to be before seven (I have no idea who this girl is who now gets up early and is actually able to FUNCTION before seven! I'm like...this would have solved a lot of stress problems last year my dear. haha). Anyways so suddenly I remember that it was supposed to snow last night so I sit up, flip the curtain up (not really expecting anything - after last year's fail winter, I wasn't too hopeful) and there it is! All this beautiful soft white stuff coating the roof and falling from the white clouds...which actually I couldn't see because it was still dark outside. So basically I got really excited and jumped out of bed, ran out of my room and Danae and I smacked each other into a huge hug squealing and then Mom yells from the bedroom so we go jump on her bed then Janelle yells from downstairs so we run back out there and then...I go back to bed.

Ten minutes later, I get back up because I can't sleep anymore. It's only 6:45 in the morning. I haven't gotten up that early in like 2 months or longer...but here I am. It's crazy how much more time it seems there is in the day! Oh and, it's still snowing!!

Oh and by the way. I have decided to keep blogging through my Christmas break for all who were wondering. I know many of you would be disappointed if I took a break and I can't let my loyal supporters down! (sometimes I pretend that there are lots of people out there reading me... but then sometimes that is a little frightening so I stop pretending). Anyways, I enjoy it too much so I will just keep it up. And also, I decided it works anyways because, as I learned in Jackson, a "hole" is really just an old fashion word for valley or area between mountains so I'm still in one. From now on, it shall be called, the "Fraser Hole". Has a nice ring to it doesn't it? How do you like that all you Abbotsfordians? You live in a hole too!

Home, a little unorthodox, but I got here

Was rudely awakened this morning by some hungry crows thumping and knocking on the roof. Apparently people think it is oh so funny to dump their pita bread stuffs everywhere and in doing so attract a million birds to come to the feeding grounds and then since it is so BLISTERINGLY cold out there, the bread is solid rock so the dear old birds fly to the roof tops and smash it on the shingles and patter about trying to eat the stuff. It's a good thing I love being home, or I might have woken up ticked this morning.

By the way, sorry I have been gone so long if you were wondering where I've been. Here is the story since I last posted. Sorry, it's a little long.

I don't really know what to write. This homecoming, this past weekend was not at all what we had all envisioned: big welcoming party at SEATAC, going shopping at the Outlet mall, staying up late looking at pictures and sharing memories and just enjoying being home. God had other plans and though I see His hand of timing through it all, it is still hard to adjust - hard to even believe all the stuff that happened the past few days.

I guess I'll start with Thursday. I got news that Uncle Dave wasn't doing well and my family was driving up to Kelowna to be with the family. We changed my flight to fly into Kelowna and my dear friends at the collage gathered around me and we prayed. Friday morning, in class, I got the text: "Uncle Dave is with Jesus. Hallelujah!" and well, everything changes. I couldn't go back to class but had a nice quiet time with my dear friend Elisha. God totally sent her there for me and we could comfort each other and talk and it was okay. Since I couldn't be home with my family, there was no better place for me to be. I thank God again and again for putting with that group of people. They were so awesome and supportive.

Leaving school was hard. We drove off in a big caravan at about 2 and it's weird how I feel like I've left a piece of myself there and with those people. God is really doing stuff in our class and I miss them already. Hours later I get to Tatiana's house and stay the night with her, then we drive out at 8:30 the next morning to the Denver airport (that place is HUGE by the way and just SLIGHTLY intimidating...I admit, I almost threw up but I survived). Got on the plane at 12, got to Seattle at about 2ish, got on another plane at 3 (oh but before that I had to find the gate - had to TAKE A TRAIN!!! - I felt so independent and smart finding it all on my own but in reality, it wasn't hard. The airport people are quite talented at making stuff easy to find - thank goodness!).

So I got Kelowna at about 4:30pm but had to wait a hundred hours to get off the little plane (which Dad told me was so small that we were going to do a loop-de-loop before we landed...didn't happen but it was atrociously loud in there). Then I had to wait a million years to get my bag - BY MYSELF because we came from the US and had to go through customs which was another billion year long line-up. However that wasn't bad because as I'm standing in line all antsy I hear a whistle, look up and through the sliding door leading out of customs I see my siblings with balloons waving frantically and shouting. I wave back and as the doors slide shut everyone in line slowly turns and looks at me and I'm like..."hehe, my family..." and I can't help but smile. So that happens a few more times and then suddenly I hear this garbled, "Annaaaaleaaaa???!! Analeeeaa!!" and so on...and my brother is at the wall (which is like not a real wall) and he is on the floor trying to see me under it...and then he is at the crack saying my name and I can see their silhouettes through the wall but what am I supposed to do, just yell back with all these strangers in line who already think I'm a weirdo?? haha This one old lady is like "they sound pretty excited" (I'm thinking...well that's an understatement, they sound like crazies!!!) and I'm like, "I've been gone for awhile.."

So I finally get through customs and there they are! My sisses with balloons and an obscenely bright poster and my Mom and Dad, my brother, my cousins, the Swaans, my grandparents and the whole seen is so perfect, well as perfect as it could be in the situation. After much hugs and a few tears, I get to hug my beautiful nephew, and then I spot a Tim Hortons cup and have an immediate craving and I want to kiss the ground cuz there is really no place like Canada, people!

It was hard though because my homecoming was tempered with the news of Uncle Dave and I was so glad to be there to comfort my dear cousins and Auntie but could've talked for a year about all my stories and couldn't stop hugging people and smiling. It really was a joyous occasion because Uncle Dave is in such a better place, but it is so hard being back here you know. I had bursts of joy tempered with sadness and it was just a confusing mix of emotions that really leaves you quite exhausted.

So we drive home on Sunday and I talked the ENTIRE drive home. Most of you won't be surprised by this. It was the shortest 3 1/2 hour drive ever!

It is so amazing to be home, back in Abby. A few things have changed...and the cold was unexpected (I just left this weather in Jackson!) but it's my town, my people. There is really no place like home and it's great to be back

C'mon let's all be kids again

Katy

Pastor Don always calls us kids, today he even called us children and ya know, coming from another person, we might be tempted to take offense but I find it strangely comforting and encouraging when he says it. I know that he loves us so much and it is a term of endearment but more than that, it is a compliment in a way for we are enthusiastic as children as we learn all this new stuff. It is cool to be a kid, I mean, it's not like I'm old or anything but I haven't really thought of myself as a kid for awhile and it's really refreshing. It gives you complete freedom to ask questions, to learn without worrying about what others will say. Kids have an innocence and aptitude for learning that I think we slowly lose as we grow older.

Jackie

I watch Katy, Jackie, and Ally (Jared and Annie's kids) each day and I've been really thinking about this a lot today. The girls are so free to laugh, so quick to accept, so quick to love and trust. I find it sad that I have lost this ability. I mean, it's necessary because the real world isn't a Bible Collage campus and we can't just go around letting strangers scoop us up, eating meals beside and chattering to whoever will listen, etc. But sometimes I wish it were not such a place that hardens people so much and makes us all afraid to trust others. It has been such a blessing living here these three months and I feel the trust of a child with everyone around here - the collage and the church. I feel safe, like a child with her family. Yet, of course, I've also observed the girls pull fits and cry, demand things selfishly as children and compete with each other and I have to say, I feel like we all somehow maintain that part of our childhood to some degree. I know I still have a tendency to want attention, to want my needs met first, to cry when I'm frustrated or stressed. Unfortunately, my mind is not as quick to forgive, forget and get over whatever issue I'm fretting about. I think there is a lot we can learn from kids and in some ways, things we could change about ourselves.

Ally

I pray that I am always a kid - in a way that I am always ready to learn, that I accept wisdom and realize that I do need discipline and guidance like a child sometimes. I want to be God's kid - always trusting, loving unconditionally, excited over every word that He has to say and waiting anxiously for my Father always. I thank Him for giving me the chance to be considered a kid again under Pastor Don's wise teaching and I pray that He gives me a child's mind, open and receptive, yet wisdom beyond my years to discern and find the truth.

Hello WINTER!

I said a fond farewell to the grass on Sunday as it was slowly overtaken by the army of little wet, flecks of shredded cloud. It was with joy (and a little trepidation) that I noted this was probably the last time I would see the brownish-green blades until March or April next year. It has been snowing pretty much nonstop since Sunday, with quite the fierce wind blowing in today and it is suggested that the snow will continue as such for the foreseeable future. As such, when I return in January, there is likely to be 2 -3 feet of snow if not much more. At the moment this brings only excitement (as a Canadian who lives in a generally warm, wet climate but still has the blood of a Manitoba-living mother and Calgary-born Father in her and always longs for such things as two feet of snow to flounce through) however I do fear that after a few weeks, the cold will get to me and I will wish for rain. Also, I dread the coming of warmth which will bring mounds of slush...not enjoyable or nice to look forward to and therefore I refuse to dwell on the subject and will instead simply stare out my window with comfortable happiness as the world slowly loses all colour...

Oh the joys of living at the Rocky Mountain Lodge: not only do we get mounds of snow but the septic system is so high tech that we even have guys who come out and clean our septic tanks for us! Now that is service...the smell however is not so fabulous. It was an interesting class yesterday, first trying not to breath too deeply, then, trying to keep warm as we opened both doors and let the great icy wind gust through the classroom to air the place out. I be thinking we won't be able to do that for very much longer.

With all the snow comes thoughts of Christmas and though I know many of you may not be there yet, it's coming my friends. Are you ready for it? I, for one, am psyched! I don't know if I have ever before looked forward to Christmas as I do this year. Of course this is probably due in part to being finally back with my family and really, it does make it all the more special. We are already avidly listening to Christmas music around here and buying presents and we even have a tree up! Workday in the kitchen was cheered by 3 hours of Christmas music. (Heather found Alabama Christmas and I was beset by nostalgic emotions as old memories surfaced.) What is it about Christmas music that can lighten any atmosphere, brighten any spirit and bring a smile to every face - even those who have to cut up peppers for 2 hours and end up with orange stained hands and finger nails!?!? Ya know, maybe it truly is the most wonderful time of the year...or maybe I'm just too easily influenced by sleigh bells and songs of snow.

A small request

Well, Formal Night was basically a blast (see the photo page for pics) and I didn't get to sleep til after 2am but it was SOOO fun! It is so weird to think that this is my last Saturday here for awhile!

So anyways, I wanted to let you all know about this really cool thing that the college did. Eric Hovind, our last professor has this ministry called Creation Science Evangelism and they are having a contest. You have to make a movie and in one minute explain why you believe God is real. So some of my classmates made one and we would love to win and are planning on donating the prize to the college. The other thing is Eric asked us to do it because he wants us to win because there is an atheist who did one and it is really good - no one will know that he is an atheist and his movie is really good and it would just not be cool if he won so if you could all go on and vote for our video - it is really good, seriously and support the college that way, it would be great!

So, I put the link in the News section but here it is too: http://www.drdino.com/. And you click on the Enter contest button on the orange bar on the bottom and then click see all - ours is by Christopher Simon so it would be awesome if you could vote, tell your friends to vote and vote everyday! haha

Thanks so much all!

Humming Hymns

First of all...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Secondly, I got 100% on my final...it was true/false...except not really...cuz they were all true so as long as you figured that out, well it was pretty simple. haha

I just had to remark on how much we sing hymns here. I mean, I think I have sung more hymns in the three months I have been here than in my whole life put together. I love it! We sing them to start off every class (well Pastor Don's classes and some other profs do it too) and we sing at least one every Sunday. There is just something neat about everyone opening up their own hymnal and singing together a song that Christians have been singing for hundreds of years. Especially in class, it produces these community effect, all of us raising our voices, no music, people harmonizing and sometimes making mistakes - it's beautiful really. I have learned so many new hymns and of course sang many popular ones that I have heard many times before. Hymns aren't really any different than any other worship song but their history just seems to travel with them and every time they are sung, with every person who sings one, another event is added to their story. I dunno, maybe this is all just crazy and I'm just sentimental but I have really enjoyed the hymn singing hear. Don't get me wrong, I love our more modern worship songs and prefer them most the time but I have found a new appreciation for old hymns that I never had before.

Yes, no, maybe, I dunno

WARNING: long post

Controversies in the church... it's a controversial subject. I mean, seriously. Did you know there is even a controversy about whether there should BE controversies!? We are supposed to be studying 21 controversies this week but so far, we've gotten through 3. What can I say, it's Pastor Don!

John Piper says, "Controversy is essential where precious truth is rejected or distorted. And controversy is deadly where disputation about truth dominates exultation in truth." Jesus wants the Church to be united and commands us to love above all things (Col. 3:14) so even if we disagree, we should still be able to love each other! As Christians we are all part of the body of Christ - ONE body so no matter the controversies, we can't tear that body apart or it becomes wounded and dysfunctional. We are to speak the TRUTH in LOVE (Eph. 4:15) that iron may sharpen iron (Prov. 27:17).

We talked a lot about Charismatic churches and the gift of tongues. It is by far one of the most controversial topics out there. I remember a while back when Jeff first addressed the issue at Northview. It was the first time I had really even heard much about the gift of tongues and it kind of scared me. It frightens me still a little to think that there are churches out there in which speaking of tongues is commonly the main part of a church service - where everyone speaks in tongues and is expected to be able to do so. The Bible states that not all will have every gift. There are a variety of gifts given directly by the will of the Spirit and therefore, though we have different gifts, they are all from the same source as 1 Corinthians 12 emphatically states. If the Holy Spirit gives the gift, well then I find it a little disconcerting to hear that many Charismatic believers try to get everyone to speak in a tongue, they try to help them along but NOT everyone will do so and we shouldn't try to if it isn't given to us. Moreover, I don't even know if I believe the gift still exists today. 

Pastor Don said that most theologans say there are 3 options for the manifestation of 'tongues' today: 1 It is the work of the Holy Spirit 2 It is from the evil one (who can duplicate and pervert the gifts) 3 it is something from the Fall that is manifesting itself as a shadow of perhaps something that Adam and Eve could do. Whatever it is, I believe as Pastor Don does that if you speak with tongues, you should get an interpreter, or pray for an interpretation as it says in Corinthians because you need to know what you are saying as it says in 1 Corinthians 14. Without an interpretation, the gift is not edifying to the church and as it has today, it actually divides. 

I found it amazing that the love chapter (1 Cor. 13) was found right in the middle of these two chapters on the spiritual gifts. I had never noticed it before. In fact chapter 12 ends off with: "And I show you a still more excellent way" and goes on to talk about the how the spiritual gifts are nothing if you have not love. I had never seen all the parallels to the spiritual gifts in this familiar chapter on love and I now see it in a whole new light. Further, Don pointed out verse 8 which states that the gifts of prophecy and knowledge will be done away and the gift of tongues shall cease. Now we looked into the tenses these were written in in the Greek and done away is in a tense which implies that something will stop the prophecy and knowledge but cease was written in a way to indicate that the gift of tongues shall stop itself. Perhaps the very purpose of the gift had a built in purpose which would cause an end to it. Pastor Don personally believes that the gifts of healing, tongues and miracles are no longer manifest today and I think I have come to agree with him. Yes healing does occur as do miracles but people do not have these gifts in a way in which they used to occur in the early church. 

This has become a really long post and I don't know if it makes much sense as I am just sorting through our class discussion in my mind and it is coming out as such. There is so much more that we learned and the text has so much more information but I don't want to bore you all with little details. I'm sure some of you would love to sit in on the class and maybe we can discuss these things some more when I get home in TEN DAYS!

If I was a rich man...

So that's it. I didn't get very far as I fell...but still, pretty great. I got talent I think. haha

I hope this made you smile and inspires you all to dance and wear Snuggies...okay maybe not but I hope you laughed. 

Until next time, I remain yours truly: "the girl dancing while wearing a Snuggie"

Randomness and Reviews

 

Guess who's done her Christmas shopping!?!?!? And had a blast too. Kaitlyn, Lish and I went into town around 3 and spent hours there just browsing around - checking EVERY store before we bought stuff to make sure we got the best. hehe. We had such a great time together searching high and low for the coolest touristy stuff for our families.

Oh and another cool thing, the US capitol picks a tree every year to set up at the White House and they picked one from Jackson this year so they were doing this little parade thing at 4:30. I'm telling, you ALL of Jackson was in the square - and I didn't know there were that many people in Jackson! It was crazy. The parade shindig was pretty lame but the tree - THAT was worth seeing. It was huge. I heard someone said it was 70ft! It was pretty sweet to see and all these people had like little sprigs from it and there was like a brass band playing and they had put the lights on the arches and stuff and it was all just so Christmasy and full of community spirit.

 

Also this weekend, we totally watch Toy Story 3, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Inheritance. I know, pretty crazy for a school that said we weren't allowed to watch movies. Anyways, Toy Story 3 was pretty amazing, I have to affirm all you people who kept telling me it was. However, I didn't find the monkey as creepy as the baby. Also, we decided it was ALMOST the worst movie in the world - (spoiler alert for all you who were like me and haven't seen it) you know the part where they are like all sitting holding hands ready to die in like the burning pit of Mt Doom? Well, ya, that would have been really stupid. However, it turned out pretty fabulous and not even THAT said, like you all said. I would give it a 41/2 out of 5 stars

Fiddler on the roof...now that was kind of a sad movie...just kind of. haha. Jessica was like, THAT'S IT!?!? and so I cheered everyone up with my imitation of the old man's dance (you know when he's marching around the barn singing "If I was a rich man...") Ya...ahem. They made me do it again for a video and me of course, ended it off by slipping on my Snuggie. which I happened to be wearing, and falling flat out. I will try to upload the video maybe so you can all laugh. Fiddler gets 3 1/2 stars.

And The Inheritance was also a pretty fab movie. Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, it actually didn't turn out how I thought it would which was pretty surprising. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still predicted most of it along with half the class but the ending wasn't what I thought it would all turn out to be when we first started it. It gets 4 stars.

So there you have it, some random stories from the weekend and some movie reviews. So go put on some Christmas music, smell some pine trees and drink in the anticipation for another coming Christmas season!

Surprised my head is still attached

We spent a while in class today on atheist blogs and wow, that is a scary place to go! The people on the other end ...well, they aren't Christian and they don't pretend to be. Seriously, they practically bite your head off every time you try to say anything. They are so mean! and I don't even mean just unkind, most of them are cussing you out, calling you names, putting down your intellect - everything except giving a real response to your questions. We went in there with 1 Peter 3:15 in our hearts (But sanctify the Lord God in you hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear)

It has been an enlightening experience but it saddens me so much. Those people are all so lost and there is no way that we can convince them of their folly. Everything we say really does sounds like foolishness to them and just like 2 Cor. 2:14 says they just can't understand or accept the things of God. But, we did not go into the lions den for their sakes, but for God's glory. We knew that we wouldn't convert anyone but the Holy Spirit can work through our feeble efforts and it debating like that really helps to sharpen and strengthen your own faith. But beware if you try it because it gets frustrating when they twist your words, it is disheartening to see that you are getting nowhere and despite it all, their comments hurt sometimes. However, I have found that my pity for them greatly overcomes any anger or hurt I may have. They are truly lost. 

I thank God that He saved me. It is only by GOD'S GRACE that I am on this side of the argument and not yelling terrible things back to a bunch of Christians in Wyoming. How great is my God!?! I can not even understand why He picked me and I know I don't truly grasp the magnitude of what He has done for me. How can I help but want to live every second for Him. I pray that I will continually glorify Him in all I do for, that is the least I can do.

To the Streets

Today, after lunch, we went as a class with a few staff members and witnessed to the people of Jackson. It was the first time I have ever done something like that and it was nerve-racking but exciting. I walked around with Shannon and though we didn't get into any deep conversations we were able to give out gospel tracts to quite a few people.

I still don't really know how I feel about tracts except that I know that God, the Holy Spirit can use anything and I believe we planted some seeds today. A few people in the group were able to really talk to people that were open to hearing the gospel. It was an amazing experience and I'm praying God will use the little work we have done here to glorify Him.

I fear that we as Christians really don't share our faith enough. Every time we leave the house we should be looking and ready to tell others the good news. We learned a lot about "The Way of the Master" and how to share the gospel by first starting with the law so that a person can see their need for salvation. I feel more equipped to actually talk to people because I know how to talk to them.

Also I have really seen how we need to go out there and tell people. I mean, Jesus commanded us to tell the world and even if people reject us - they are really rejecting God and they will have no excuse on Judgment Day. Judgment is real and I do care about my fellow man; if we truly believe what the Bible says then...all those lost people are headed for eternity in hell and if I can share the gospel with them and the may Holy Spirit uses me, then how can I not go out there?

Forgive me

Another challenge. Think of the gospel message today. Have you ever realized how much humanistic ideals have crept in. I was completely blown away today. Humanism says that the end of all being is the happiness of man; the reason for existence is the happiness of man. I know, you are denying that this is part of the gospel but think about it. How often have we heard "Jesus loves you so much and He wants to bless you and give you a reason to live. He will change your life and give you a joy you never knew" or something of that kind. Since my childhood, I remember praying that "everyone will become a Christian so they will go to heaven." How often have I feared for my friends or acquaintances because I want them to go to heaven. I'm only hoping for their happiness in the end. I don't want them to be damned to an eternity of terror. But the very purpose of salvation isn't for mankind's happiness - it's ultimately for God's glory

Is your salvation based on the end result of your happiness. What if it was only hell that awaited you in the end. Would you still serve God, simply because He is worthy. Would you still give your life to the only one who actually holds control. Are you willing to give EVERYTHING in your service to Him? Jesus did. Why are you a Christian? Are you sure you want to be a Christian.

Listen to this youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtFZhuFBlOo take a break and watch all 5 parts. If you aren't effected by this...I don't know what to say.

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you feel about it. My first reaction: I cried

Significantly insignificant

Our first day of Eric Hovind's class blew us all away. God has convicted each one of us through this gifted man and wow. I'm excited but a little afraid of what the week is going to bring.

It's all about your worldview. That determines everything about you! And there are only two options:

God did it all or...
                                                                  He didn't
What you think about God tells a whole lot about you and determines how you live. Did you know that the word universe comes from Latin and means one (uni) spoken sentence (verse). I mean seriously! The scientists have spent hundreds of years debating how the "one spoken sentence" came into existence...ummmmmmmm...

It's a fact that every argument against God can be reduced to foolishness. Psalm 14:1 says "the fool hath said in his heart, 'there is no God.'" Furthermore Romans 1:18-22 tells us that EVERYONE knows God. They are willfully suppressing the truth. Since the creation of the world, God has shown Himself to man and yet man has rejected Him purposefully in sin. Eric says that the reason people scoff at the Bible is never because of science - it's always because of sin. People know the truth but they choose to go against God and live their own way. In reality, there is no such thing as an atheist because to say there is no God means that you know EVERYTHING about the earth, the universe and beyond. You have to know all that is out there in order to say resolutely that there is no God...but in that case, if you know everything, then you yourself are god...so...there is a god...YOU.

But no matter how much we argue and debate, even if we KNOW we are right, we will never convert anybody. It is only by the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit that anyone can come to salvation in Christ. Sometimes I think I give myself too much responsibility in this matter because I blame myself for my inadequate presentation of the gospel and I freak out about people I know, my school friends, the WORLD that doesn't know Christ but in reality, it's God who brings people to Himself. Yes He uses us, but...He doesn't have to - He doesn't NEED us! If He did, He wouldn't be God.

But He is God. and oh, what a God He is. He is worthy to be praised. Just look at some pictures of the universe! Look at the stars, the galaxies, the planets and you can't possibly help but see God. The amazing thing is, it's all out there for HIS GLORY (Psalm 19:1). In fact EVERYTHING God does is to His glory. Think about it, if man's greatest goal is to glorify God, why would God's be any different. God has no one else to give glory to but Himself for He alone is worthy. Even at the cross, it was all for His glory.

It is impossible for us to understand how huge His love for us is until we begin to grasp how huge our God really is. And in doing this, maybe we will understand how significantly insignificant we really are. Just look at a picture of the universe if you need a wake-up call. Isaiah 40:17 says that the nations are nothing to God...and I, I am just one person among the nations. That God loved us enough to save us from our sin, to redeem His fallen creation, in His ultimate plan for HIS GLORY, is unbelievable. There is nothing I can give that isn't already His and I feel completely unworthy in His presence yet He welcomes me, moreover, I can call Him Father!

My only response is: How can I live today, for His glory?