YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER;

in this life

everyone has their own private issues, whether it's a split family, the death of a parent, or something else. everyone has something they're embarrassed about. let me put it this way: when you're walking through the mall, and you see someone, you have this automatic judgement of them in your head, even if you have never seen them before. if you see a guy in baggy pants to his knees, an xxxxxxl tshirt, and his chain around his neck could reach his toes, you think, "thug". that guy could come out of a respectable home, and be valedictorian of his class. if you see a guy dressed in black pants with a black shirt, tons of piercings and tattoos, and long hair with a guitar on his shoulder, you'll automatically think, "gothic" or "punk", when that guy could be in a band that plays for the Lord. when you see a girl dressed head to toe in juicy couture and gucci clothes, you automatically think, "spoiled". when she could be working four jobs as a nineteen year old college student, paying for all she has. my point here is, you can't really know a person unless you get to know them. everyone deserves a chance. cliques form from teens liking the same stuff, and getting along. i bet the little girl with glasses and clothes that are two sizes too small is just as nice as the girl who gets all she wants from her rich parents. everyone needs a friend, and you don't need to pick your friends by what they wear, who they're friends with, what they wear, or how smart they are. you'll be surprised to find how many of those people that are "outcasts" are actually cool, just in a different package. it's kind of like a present. if you have a gift wrapped in sparkly paper, with a big bow on top, and a gift that's just stuck in a shoebox and wrapped in newspaper, odds are, you're going to pick the pretty gift first, because it looks nicer. what if there was a $100 bill in the shoebox, and a pair of socks in the pretty box? a lot of times, this happens because we judge whether or not we want to talk to someone by their outward appearance, and not by whether or not they have potential to be what you're looking for. so, talk to new people. invite them to sit with you at lunch. you never know how bad they need a friend right now.

Love,

sara (:

in this life

it's been forever, i know. but last night, i was talking to my friend marshall on skype, ans he told me about a song, by this band called "For Today". the name of the song is "Talmidim" which is hebrew for servant, or disciple. i like a lot of techno, powerpop, acoustic, alternative, and indie music, but i also enjoy some screamo and hardcore metal. this band is hardcore metal, but the song is softer than most of the songs they sing. the video is at the top, i strongly suggest listening to this song.

in this song, one of the band members recites a group of bible verses, and also makes a speech in his own words about how lucky we are to even be associated with God Almighty. the verses state:

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave to your forefathers; you will be my people and I will be your God."

Ezekiel 36:26-28

this verse is so accurate to the feeling that i got when i gave my life to Christ. you feel cleansed and renewed, you feel like a new person, for you have a new heart. you have been given the chance to start all over, and leave all your sins in the past. God doesn't just wipe our heart clean once, but he forgives us every single time we ask for it. although we do not deserve it, he loves us, and he always will. no matter what we do, he will always love us, for we are his children, and he made us in his vision. the band member goes on to express his feelings in a speech during the song. it is honestly one of the most moving speeches i have ever heard in my life. he says:

"And through all of this, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, no fear, no insecurity, no doubt, no hesitation that will ever, ever stop us. Because we are the son of the living God. Because we are the children of the almighty. Because we are the residents of the kingdom of heaven and we are soldiers in an army of the immortal. And when we speak light, light happens. And when we speak healing, healing happens. And when we speak truth, truth happens. And when we go take what we found to a dead world, we will see it come to life again. When we take what we found to a hopeless world, we will see hope come back, we will see the hearts of our world start beating again and we will see the colour come back in peoples faces and absolutely nothing will ever stop that and mountains will move before us and oceans will pour before us and the dead will raise before us and the world will know that our God is a God that heals, that our God is a God that lives, that our God is a God that loves unlike anyone has ever felt before because we are fearless, because we are his hand, because we are his feet, forever and ever..."

i have never heard it put like this. everything he says is true. if you were to break it down, you'd get:

"And through all of this, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, no fear, no insecurity, no doubt, no hesitation that will ever, ever stop us. Because we are the son of the living God. Because we are the children of the almighty. Because we are the residents of the kingdom of heaven and we are soldiers in an army of the immortal."

this is saying, that through life and all its hardships, nothing will come between us and God. we are God's children, and we have our place reserved for us in heaven, because God wants us to live with him for all eternity. "we are soldiers in the army of the immortal" simply means that we go out and witness to people on God's side, to save them, and lead them home to their father, so that they may also have a space in heaven, to live forever in a perfect place, with no pain and no sorrow.

"And when we speak light, light happens. And when we speak healing, healing happens. And when we speak truth, truth happens. And when we go take what we found to a dead world, we will see it come to life again. When we take what we found to a hopeless world, we will see hope come back, we will see the hearts of our world start beating again and we will see the colour come back in peoples faces and absolutely nothing will ever stop that"

to me, this is saying, when we go out and tell of him and all his goodness, his goodness will be seen, and people will go to him. and when we tell of his stories, people will begin to understand, and believe these miracles that took place, and they, too will tell of the works of God. and when we take these stories and miracles out into this world of sin, people will then see that God is good, and begin to follow him, begin to live. and when the world lives in the name of God, then we will regain hope, and everything will be at peace, for we know that all we need is God. nothing can stop this, because the love of the Lord is stronger than any love there ever was, and ever will be.

"and mountains will move before us and oceans will pour before us and the dead will raise before us and the world will know that our God is a God that heals, that our God is a God that lives, that our God is a God that loves unlike anyone has ever felt before because we are fearless, because we are his hand, because we are his feet, forever and ever..."

these last words are saying, that once we bring this hopeless world to God, we will witness miracles, and God will heal us and forgive us for all that we have done, and he will show everyone that he is God, and nothing stands in the way of his power and his love. we will be fearless as long as he is with us, and we will become part of him, and live in paradise, FOREVER. <3

-i hope all of this made sense, there was so much that i got out of this song, it was just extremely hard to express it in words.