Monday, March 28, 2005
More on Princess Lightbringer
Okay, You may be wondering who is this girl calling herself princess lightbringer. I did not think it up myself. My first name means "God's princess or Daughter of the King" and my middle name means "light bringer" thus I am Princess Lightbringer. Trying to live it or at least be a peace with it. As you may notice I have appropriately made the text pink because all little girls who know they are princess' love pink--i have this on direct authority from a 5 year old!
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Nothing but...
Have you ever heard that song...Nothing but the Blood of Jesus
I sang it last night, I think it may have revolutionized my life. Last night it finally made sense...there is nothing I can do that has not been done for me already. I am so not worthy. Jesus made me worthy and I can not accomplish what He has already done. I am almost 32 years old and I am not sure I really understood forgiveness until last night--Good Friday 2005. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. I watched the Passion yesterday--and just like the first time I saw it I wept when He fell and his mother ran to Him and said, "I am here." A broken, bleeding, destroyed Jesus responds, "Look mother, I make all thing new." Indeed, he has made all thing new.
What can wash away my sin?Nothing but the blood of Jesus;What can make me whole again?Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh! precious is the flowThat makes me white as snow;No other fount I know,Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my pardon, this I see,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;For my cleansing this my plea,Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can for sin atone,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;Naught of good that I have done,Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;This is all my righteousness,Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Now by this I’ll overcome—Nothing but the blood of Jesus,Now by this I’ll reach my home—Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Glory! Glory! This I sing—Nothing but the blood of Jesus,All my praise for this I bring—Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
I sang it last night, I think it may have revolutionized my life. Last night it finally made sense...there is nothing I can do that has not been done for me already. I am so not worthy. Jesus made me worthy and I can not accomplish what He has already done. I am almost 32 years old and I am not sure I really understood forgiveness until last night--Good Friday 2005. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. I watched the Passion yesterday--and just like the first time I saw it I wept when He fell and his mother ran to Him and said, "I am here." A broken, bleeding, destroyed Jesus responds, "Look mother, I make all thing new." Indeed, he has made all thing new.
What can wash away my sin?Nothing but the blood of Jesus;What can make me whole again?Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh! precious is the flowThat makes me white as snow;No other fount I know,Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my pardon, this I see,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;For my cleansing this my plea,Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can for sin atone,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;Naught of good that I have done,Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;This is all my righteousness,Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Now by this I’ll overcome—Nothing but the blood of Jesus,Now by this I’ll reach my home—Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Glory! Glory! This I sing—Nothing but the blood of Jesus,All my praise for this I bring—Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Friday, March 25, 2005
The Sunrise in my window
I have been trying really hard to get up early and I have had the amazing gift these last few weeks to see the sunrise from my third floor apartment window in Omaha, NE. I have been all over the world the everywhere I go the sun rises and sets and it's beauty is constant though always new and different. I know that there is hope when I look out my window in the morning because a creative creator has sent me a message of hope--the begining of a new day!!
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Journey to Sierra Leone
“Preach Jesus always, use words only when necessary.” St. Francis
The last hours of my time in Sierra Leone was filled with uncomfortable noise of deaf and dumb woman preaching on the ferry ride to the airport. I was actually not sure at first what she was doing. She was making a wretched noise in her throat but there were no words…not even Crio words that were discernable. Someone told us that she could not hear or speak but that she was preaching Jesus. At that moment, I was speechless. I asked myself, how can she preach Jesus without words…she must be crazy. As I asked the question, I realized that my whole time in Sierra Leone had been a message, a sermon that is only understood in the heart, a message with out words…a message of hope…a word no one said but everyone lived.
I was speechless many times and many situations in Freetown. It all began with a walk through a slum, called Kroos Bay. The children called to us “alle, alle” and Cami told us her response was “halleluiah.” Beautiful. We walked through the streets to the greetings of little children…they all knew Cami and they knew why she was there. She came to Freetown to announce the good news…her life lived with them…their sweet greetings announced to all the Christ has come, even to a slum. We then arrived at the “church”, a largish room, that serves a school during week and a church on Sunday…Saturday’s at 4:00pm is reserved for the Good News. I watched almost 200 little children file in to their spaces on wooden benches to sing praises and talk to Jesus. It was beautiful…some of you may have seen this reflection before but this is my response first being with the children…
I feel in love with boys and girls in a program called “lighthouse.” The boys and girls at light house announced the good new with their lives…what was lost has been found…what was stolen from them is being redeemed. Their lives are a testimony to Hope. From a history of hurts to committed students and apprentices in professions like tailoring and woodworking, these teenagers are a miracle. They live without much accountability besides a faithful woman (cami) who loves them. They do not have family accountability to push them to attend school or go to work at a tailoring shop all day and then spend the evening in night school to read and write—yet they go and they excel. This is a testimony to hope.
I have lost my voice and can not express the absurdity of hope in a place such as Freetown with both it’s recent and not so recent history. From slavery to civil war, hope has emerged and crept into the hearts of the people. People who should be without hope…street children, child combatants, and the poor in the slums of kroos bay…they all seem to have a deep contagious hope in the way that they live their lives. Because they know that the labels that I have given them are not who they are…they are sons and daughters…princes and princessed in the kingdom…they know what was lost and know that there is so much to be found in the embrace of Jesus. The lives in Freetown are a miracle!
The woman on Ferry in my last hours announced her brokenness…the harsh throaty noise that came out told us she could not speak...yet she still preached…a message that I somehow understood. I do not think is it so strange to announcing the coming kingdom and your brokenness in the same instant. They somehow go together…christ’s broken body brought the kingdom to earth and he will bring it again through our weakness. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. In Freetown, I saw the weak, say “I am strong, because of what the Lord has done for me.”
Hope for the future of these children and pray for the coming Kingdom in places like Freetown, Sierra Leone. My prayer is that your soul will be nourished and that you too will find hope in dark places!
With love and a hopeful heart...
The last hours of my time in Sierra Leone was filled with uncomfortable noise of deaf and dumb woman preaching on the ferry ride to the airport. I was actually not sure at first what she was doing. She was making a wretched noise in her throat but there were no words…not even Crio words that were discernable. Someone told us that she could not hear or speak but that she was preaching Jesus. At that moment, I was speechless. I asked myself, how can she preach Jesus without words…she must be crazy. As I asked the question, I realized that my whole time in Sierra Leone had been a message, a sermon that is only understood in the heart, a message with out words…a message of hope…a word no one said but everyone lived.
I was speechless many times and many situations in Freetown. It all began with a walk through a slum, called Kroos Bay. The children called to us “alle, alle” and Cami told us her response was “halleluiah.” Beautiful. We walked through the streets to the greetings of little children…they all knew Cami and they knew why she was there. She came to Freetown to announce the good news…her life lived with them…their sweet greetings announced to all the Christ has come, even to a slum. We then arrived at the “church”, a largish room, that serves a school during week and a church on Sunday…Saturday’s at 4:00pm is reserved for the Good News. I watched almost 200 little children file in to their spaces on wooden benches to sing praises and talk to Jesus. It was beautiful…some of you may have seen this reflection before but this is my response first being with the children…
I feel in love with boys and girls in a program called “lighthouse.” The boys and girls at light house announced the good new with their lives…what was lost has been found…what was stolen from them is being redeemed. Their lives are a testimony to Hope. From a history of hurts to committed students and apprentices in professions like tailoring and woodworking, these teenagers are a miracle. They live without much accountability besides a faithful woman (cami) who loves them. They do not have family accountability to push them to attend school or go to work at a tailoring shop all day and then spend the evening in night school to read and write—yet they go and they excel. This is a testimony to hope.
I have lost my voice and can not express the absurdity of hope in a place such as Freetown with both it’s recent and not so recent history. From slavery to civil war, hope has emerged and crept into the hearts of the people. People who should be without hope…street children, child combatants, and the poor in the slums of kroos bay…they all seem to have a deep contagious hope in the way that they live their lives. Because they know that the labels that I have given them are not who they are…they are sons and daughters…princes and princessed in the kingdom…they know what was lost and know that there is so much to be found in the embrace of Jesus. The lives in Freetown are a miracle!
The woman on Ferry in my last hours announced her brokenness…the harsh throaty noise that came out told us she could not speak...yet she still preached…a message that I somehow understood. I do not think is it so strange to announcing the coming kingdom and your brokenness in the same instant. They somehow go together…christ’s broken body brought the kingdom to earth and he will bring it again through our weakness. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. In Freetown, I saw the weak, say “I am strong, because of what the Lord has done for me.”
Hope for the future of these children and pray for the coming Kingdom in places like Freetown, Sierra Leone. My prayer is that your soul will be nourished and that you too will find hope in dark places!
With love and a hopeful heart...
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