SkyMaster

"We are going on the SkyMaster."

"Okay..." I looked at Matt, unsure. We were at a fair and going to take in some rides. Let's just say I am not a big rides kind of girl. I don't like spinny. I hate upside down. I love heights, but more like going to the edge of a mountain and looking down into a beautiful valley, not looking down on more rides, busy people... You get the picture? But there we were, in line for the SkyMaster, standing on concrete, the sound of shrill screams filling our ears as the sent of funnel cakes floated in the air. The screams above us suddenly became louder. I looked up to see those on the ride get swung upside down, and then held there for what seemed like an eternity. Eyes wide, I turned to Matt. You want me to go on that?! My eyes said. 

"You know you want to," he said. "Deep down you know you want to." He was right. I couldn't almost go and then chicken out! That just wouldn't set with me. 

The ride ended. People got off, and on we went. Matt and I got in, sat down, and pulled down our safety bars. 

"What am I doing in here?" 

"It's gonna be fun! Trust me." Matt tried reassuring me. I wasn't so sure. The ride started. We barely were even going when I started screaming. 

"Ahhhh! Ahh! Ahhhhhh!" 

We were gaining momentum. Soon went upside down for the first time. 

"Ahh! Matt! Matt... Matt??!" 

It kept going and going. For a split second I was really having fun. Then we went upside down again and this time stayed that way. 

"Ahhh!!! Ah! Ah! Matthew Carlson, what are you doing to me?!!" 

"Laura, open your eyes."

"No!" I flashed them open. I could see out across the fair. All the rides. All the people. The blue hills behind it all with the sun shining on them. It really was quite a sight. But as soon as we started moving again I closed them. 

We went all the way around a few times. Upside down, then back around. Fast. It feels like I'm flying. The moment of enjoyment ended quickly as I started to feel light headed. 

"Oh no! Ohh no! Oh my goodness!" 

"Laura, you're gonna be okay." 

"Okay, I can do this. I can do this. Ahh! Ah! Ahhhhhh!" 

Though I felt it was going to be never ending, before I knew it, the ride was actually over. 

"Are you okay?" Matt asked. "I've never heard you scream like that before." I've never screamed like that before, I thought. 

As I think back on this now, I can't help but laugh! Replaying it in my head, it's quite hilarious to me. A different side of me was shown both to Matt, and to myself. And I wouldn't trade this new memory for anything.  But I think a lesson can be taken away as well. 

Sometimes life throws you upside down. Go ahead and open your eyes because you just might see beauty. Don't be afraid to take a risk. Go out of your comfort zone. Just trust. What seems scary won't last forever. You'll get turned right side up again. So live life to the fullest. 

Who knows, it might be fun! 

With Us Always

God never looses service on us. Our prayers don't for some reason fail to send. His battery never dies. 

He's always there, always listening. Always ready to comfort us and wipe away our tears. In fact, our tears are precious  to Him. So precious, He collects and keeps them. ("You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." ~Psalm 56:8) 

People are going to let you down. 

This is just what is going to happen because we are imperfect humans. But God is always there. He tells us in Isaiah 41:10, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God." 

God is unchanging; we don't have to worry about His feelings toward us differing day to day. We don't have to wonder if He still wants us. God remains the same. And He wants us. He delights in us. He likes us. He wants to hang out with us. 

 "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His Love, He will rejoice over you with singing." 

United We Stand

There is strength in unity. Something powerful happens when people come together with a common purpose.

Standing alone is scary, but when united together,  fear turns into courage, which leads to the desire to make a difference. 

Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." 

"United we stand, divided we fall." We have all heard this quote multiple times, but let's try living it. Let's come together as one, pray together, and encourage one another. Then together, we will change the world. 

Like brother and sister, we come hand in hand, 

Rising together, we'll take a stand. 

And we'll stand tall, tall together. 

So long world, Christ is better. 

We are no longer alone, 

And we'll help get each other home. 

Two are better than one anyway, 

Gotta have that friend to help you up and pray. 
Lift each other up when we wanna fall. 
Gotta get up; we can stand tall.

And we'll stand tall, tall together. 

So long world, Christ is better. 

We are no longer alone, 

And we'll help get each other home. 

Rise Up

"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." - Revelation 21:8 

As defined by Webster's Dictionary, a coward is, "A person who lacks courage, especially one who is shamefully unable to control his fear and so shrinks from danger or trouble." 

Are you lacking courage? Are you worried about what the world will think of you? Are you afraid of offending people, so instead, you shrink away from the danger and trouble we are battling right now? Maybe you believe silence does no harm, but hear me out--

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil... Not to speak, is to speak. Not to act, is to act." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

To be silent is to be passive and lukewarm. Jesus says He will spit the lukewarm out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16)! 

"We have to respond when something is unjust...We can't be content to watch at the same time we condemn. To condemn is to stand up in the face of a wrong and fight it. We must pick a side." ~Vladimir Nicolai (The Butterfly and the Violin). 

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." -Ephesians 6:12 

We cannot sit back any longer. 

"And the Lord; He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." -Deuteronomy 31:8

If God goes before us, who can stop us? 

"The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" -Psalm 118:6

Rise up Church!            PRAY.

As Edmund Burke said, "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." 

If we do not speak, our enemies will. If we do not fight to protect our children, someone will fight to conquer them. 

We cannot draw back. Take courage. Lift your voice--let's go. 

"But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed but those who have faith and obtain life." -Hebrews 10:39 

"Made for More"

"You take your place in the shadows
Play your part, hide your heart, so that nobody knows
All the secrets that you hold
Memories and broken dreams from a story left untold"

Why do we hide? We hide our true selves. Hide our dreams. Hide our emotions. Our deepest longings. Our pains. Our joys. Our secrets. Our very hearts. 

We think they are too much, or not enough. Or that no one understands. 

And so instead of trying to dig deep and understand the reasoning behind the way we act or feel, we get into "survival" mode. We throw ourselves into work, school, or day-to-day life. In our society today, it's harder to truly find times of silence. 

Our minds are constantly occupied, but how much of that time do we spend actually thinking. 

The truth is, we were made for more than just everyday life.


"You were made for more than breathing
More than playing small and running scared 
You were made to walk in freedom 
To love and laugh, to find out why you're here 
Your name was known before the earth was formed 
You were made for more" 

We were made to discover, go on adventures. To laugh and find joy in the small areas of life. We were made to fellowship with others, share with them in happiness as well as pain. We feed of each other, we need each other. We need to not hide our feelings or try to walk this rode alone. 

I cannot hide. 

I cannot try to simply live life. 

I was made for more. 

(Portions in quotations are song lyrics from "Made for More" by Ginny Owens.)

Thoughts

A writer must record her thoughts.

She must stop, listen to the silence, and let the music flow out on to the page. It isn't enough just to think, just to feel. Thoughts, emotions, they must be captured and analyzed. They need reviewed and critiqued just like words and sentences.

A writer needs silence and time.

"For Freedom You've Set Me Free"

"For freedom you've set me free

And yes, I am free indeed

You rewrote my name, unshackled my shame

You opened my eyes to see that I am free" 

I recently heard this song, "Liberty",  by Shane and Shane for the first time. It got me thinking. Christ has set us free, not just so we are no longer under the curse of sin, but so we can live in freedom! 

Romans 8:1-2 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." 

He has set us free for freedom. He wants us to live in freedom. When we truly live as free, new creations in Christ, we show the world what it means to be alive. Being free doesn't mean we can do whatever we want, but we are no longer bound under death. Sin has no hold on you. 

The Fall has quenched the human spirit. Christ's freedom restores it. Freedom is being able to be all God created you for and to fulfill what He has called you to do. Living free is being unafraid to let the joy of the Lord flow from your soul. 

When we are set free, we are a racehorse who was held in the box and finally released, ready to run with full force. Being free means nothing holds back your full potential. Newsboys' song, "I am Free," says it well. 

"I am free to run

I am free to dance

I am free to live for You

I am free!

Yes, I am free"

If we have surrendered our lives to Christ, He has cleansed us and made us free, for freedom. So let's live it!