What is your legacy?

1. worthy of admiration; inspiring approval, reverence, or affection.
2. excellent; first-rate

one of the stories i wrote for the Ram Page received this comment

Thank you your article really helped me alot,excellently written,it was received at a very needed time.You don't know the details but I am a mom of 5 and I was ready to let myself go.

if that isn't enough to keep me writing... i don't know what is.


this semester, Father has shown me love, he has shown me how to have confidence, and he has humbled me.

–adjective

1.	charmingly or exquisitely beautiful: a lovely flower.

2.	having a beauty that appeals to the heart or mind as well as to the eye, as a person or a face.

3.	delightful; highly pleasing: to have a lovely time.

4.	of a great moral or spiritual beauty: a lovely character.

1.	free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind; free from extraneous matter: pure gold; pure water.

2.	unmodified by an admixture; simple or homogeneous.

3.	of unmixed descent or ancestry: a pure breed of dog.

4.	free from foreign or inappropriate elements: pure Attic Greek.

5.	clear; free from blemishes: pure skin.

6.	(of literary style) straightforward; unaffected.

7.	abstract or theoretical (opposed to applied ): pure science.

8.	without any discordant quality; clear and true: pure tones in music.

9.	absolute; utter; sheer: to sing for pure joy.

10.	being that and nothing else; mere: a pure accident.

11.	clean, spotless, or unsullied: pure hands.

12.	untainted with evil; innocent: pure in heart.

13.	physically chaste; virgin.

14.	ceremonially or ritually clean.

15.	free of or without guilt; guiltless.

16.	independent of sense or experience: pure knowledge.

17.	Biology, Genetics. a. homozygous. b. containing only one characteristic for a trait.

i am citing this at the beginning, mainly for seth

http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/fs/08/99365.htm

[Chart developed by Solidarity Center (www.solidaritycenter.org) and International Catholic Migration Commission (www.icmc.org). Circulated by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State]

The chart below, extrapolated and simplified from the 2000 UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children definition, is a useful tool for analyzing individual cases to determine whether or not they constitute trafficking. In order for a situation to be trafficking, it must have at least one of the elements within each of the three criteria of Process, Means, and Goal.

Human Trafficking is:

Process	+	Way/Means	+	Goal
Recruitment or Transportation or Transferring or Harboring or Receiving	A N D	Threat or Coercion or Abduction or Fraud or Deceit or Deception or Abuse of Power	A N D	Prostitution or Pornography or Violence/Sexual Exploitation or Forced Labor or Involuntary Servitude or Debt Bondage (with unfair wages) or Slavery/Similar practices

If one condition from each category is met, the result is trafficking. For adults, victim consent is irrelevant if one of the Means is employed. For children consent is irrelevant with or without the Means category.

in march of 2007 I was given a heart for the abolition of human trafficking (the buying and selling of people) through a book I read. As I lived in Hamburg a few months after that, a place where prostitution is greatly popular, I felt Father was continually giving me a softenend heart for the women and children who are sold and forced to live in a world I cannot even imagine. They have souls and long to feel, but don't know how. Father has been renewing my passion for this subject the past week... i've been hanging out on www.stopthetraffik.org

In September of 2007, Kendall Payne sang this song at a closed concert i went to about this same subject matter... and Father has spoken me through it...

Don’t touch me, Don’t touch me there (2x)
I am bare and he is staring, we are trapped and caged like animals
I am small it isn’t fitting. I am screaming but no one’s listening
Don’t touch me, Don’t touch me there

I forgot what it feels like to feel safe, I forgot what it feels like to feel brave
A shattered soul never heals, this heart of flesh has turned to steal
I’ve forgotten how to feel

He liked her, he liked her that way
He broke her she has never been the same
Can you imagine? Can you fathom such a place where evil spreads its seed?
It’s upon us, It’s beneath us, It’s up to us to do something
He liked her, he liked her that way…

Listen little children to the story of a girl who found her knight and shining armor
When he saved her from the dragon he was strong and not afraid that there was
Smoke and there was fire and they lived happily ever after in his castle far away
Listen little children to the story of a girl


also here is a photo from my weekend

noble...

highly moral.
grand, splendid.

so lately, I've been running along the theme of training my mind for godliness. I've only thought about it... but today, when I was supposed to be listening to a lecture in class, I wrote down Phil. 4:8 like this:

Think about such things:

whatever is:

true

noble

pure

lovely

admirable

excellent

praiseworthy

And then, I began to think about what exactly each word means...

This morning, I found myself having to look up stupid words in the dictionary, like avalanche, to make sure it was used correctly in a news story... I learned that it is permissible to use avalanche when referring to falling objects other than snow. (so, Jessie Bo- the guy in holland was correct when he said 'oh shit, it's like an avalanche of sodas.')


So, If I may be a little corny-esque, let's begin today, with the word true.

Main Entry:
1true
Pronunciation:
\ˈtrü\
Function:
adjective
Inflected Form(s):
tru·er; tru·est
Etymology:
Middle English trewe, from Old English trēowe faithful; akin to Old High German gitriuwi faithful, Old Irish derb sure, and probably to Sanskrit dāruṇa hard, dāru wood — more at tree
Date:
before 12th century
1 a: steadfast , loyal b: honest , just carchaic : truthful2 a (1): being in accordance with the actual state of affairs (2): conformable to an essential reality (3): fully realized or fulfilled b: ideal , essential c: being that which is the case rather than what is manifest or assumed d: consistent 3 a: properly so called b (1): possessing the basic characters of and belonging to the same natural group as (2): typical 4: legitimate , rightful 5 a: that is fitted or formed or that functions accurately b: conformable to a standard or pattern : accurate6: determined with reference to the earth's axis rather than the magnetic poles 7: logically necessary8: narrow , strict 9: corrected for error
— true·ness noun


So what is true? We know what is 'true' and 'factual' according to the world-- objective truth, but subjective truth? is there such a thing? I argue yes... for obvious reasons, I'm a Christian.
So I set my mind on Christ- he is true....


i could say much more but i really need to study for public relations. I may fail if i don't.

A week ago, I was struck by a thought.

When overseas, I was always told to never say "I grew up a Christian."
I understood why-- because people will immediately think "then of course you believe, it's how you were raised to believe." It was never an issue to address, but last week while sitting at starbucks I heard someone justifying their faith by saying the words, "well that's how I was raised."

It's not a reason. It's NOT a reason why you believe what you believe. I don't care what anyone says, it should not be a part of the reason.


I believe in ancient work, and I believe that my parents and my family poured a lot into me that caused me to draw toward Christ as he captured my heart, but I didn't believe because of how I was raised.

I've been thinking about making this post for the past week, how to phrase it, how to couple words together to get this thought from my brain into tangible words. I want to mention Timothy and the ancient work of his mother and grandmother which drew him to Christ but he didn't follow Christ because of 'how he was raised.' Christ extremely and 100% captured his heart and changed his life. I could go into greater detail but my stomach is churning and my mind is racing.

I do not believe in Jesus because of how I was raised. I believe in Jesus because he took me from depths of despair in my life and showed me how he offers true life. He did that through situations, as well as through his word in the bible and through mentors who poured encouragement into my heart.

The God of the Bible is the real, true, living God, and I believe in him, not because of how I was raised, but because he is real.

http://www.flowerdust.net/2008/10/17/keeping-your-mouth-shut/#comments
found this interesting.
it also made me cry.


what is something you feel you can’t say in church, or around other christians?

I’d rather look like a good christian than put in the time and effort to actually be one.

I currently feel NO connection to God when I pray or read the bible.

That I hate Facing the Giants.

When I say “I’ll pray for you.” I don’t usually mean it. I have been a Christian for 27 years and I still don’t understand the point of praying.

I struggle with having a quiet time. I’ve been a “Christian” since I was 6 years old and sometimes I wonder if I really am a Christian and why I don’t seem to have it all together.

Most people I know who claim to follow God are really sucky people who don’t care about anything but themselves and their comfort. It makes me not want to follow their rules.

‘not all Christians are republicans’

Sometimes I wonder if this whole Christianity thing is a lie.

That law is easier than grace … just tell me what to do and not do and I’ll give it my best shot.

Grace is too big, to wide open and scary.

I’m depressed- and it’s not because of a relationship with Jesus.

Stop making Christianity a scapegoat for not developing a personality. Quit being judgemental, flakey, egotistical, mean, rude, fake in the name of a God who was none of those things.

my Christian husband and i almost never speak of spiritual things…we have almost no spiritual connection at all

what a weekend.

so i was supposed to go to dallas, but after we got an hour out the car broke down. Our friend heather, happened to be going to abilene so she saw us and stopped and waited with us until the tow truck came. She also took us somewhere to eat. That was amazing. So, my friend David was able to pick us up. The car is still in abilene, but we'll get it this week.

Other than that, the weekend has been good. I've finally been able to simply have some down time... God planned this.

xoxo
Lara jo

it has been brought to my attention how popular "casual sex" is. It has nothing to do with relationships or caring for the person... it's self-gratification. The very idea of this makes me want to throw up, it hurts and if I dare be so brash I don't agree with it.

I think sex is as Matt Chandler has said, the mingling of souls. It is something that requires a relationship, and is something not only physical, but mental as well.

I think God weeps over us for many reasons, but also because we are so confused with the world. Our priorities are jacked up. We place our thoughts, that we can only base on "well that's how I think" as our number one priority. We don't know or read the bible. We don't know the depth of life that Christ is calling us too.

I don't want to live for self. I want to live for my God, my creator.

I want Christ to make me a crisis-woman.

Lara jo

also, i am convinced that cupcakes are slutty muffins

hehe

This was written by Micah, it inspired me, and therefore I would like to share it. <3>


sitting in the cup inspires me to write =) i just had an interesting convo with a friend about Father and the work He's doing and the way people live their lives. End thoughts were some that came to mind, ones of Heaven and Hell and if people believe in these two places and where they would like to end up and if they believe and know which they will end up in.

So.....how are we living our lives? Coming to college i've realized that either a person will completely immerse themselves and grow in Father, or they will be kinda there and slowly slip away. Living life on my own has brought so many changes and choices that i never knew i'd have to make. one of them was how i was who i was going to become and what i was doing to actually get there. and college is great cause you can do virtually whatever you want! you can eat at taco mayo at three in the morning and get coffee every hour to help you stay awake thru class! the things you love are suddenly at your fingertips and you can have as much as you want whenever you want and the parents arent there to stiffle your elation of joy with the things you love! the things you choose to love.

I'm becoming who i was made to be. I'm an individual that loves things that I love. I'm unique. I choose to love Father. And love Him more than just the oh yea let me take out my Bible today, I mean a deep desperate and loyal love! One that you would give to your bestest friend! The one that brings you joy in beautiful things and the hand that wipes away your tears during your darkest times. To live loyal means to actually spend time with the one you are so loyal to. To want them. To seek them and yearn for that time together. And to be loyal when you are not together where your focus of them is not so clear.

If we are to live for Father we have to remember the end. That how we live now will affect us then. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 says "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation and another build on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foudation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

So if we are living for Father then what we build up will be gold, silver, and precious stones, and those things will last, they will be our rewards in Heaven, but if we live a life that is not for Father we will be building up useless materials for our house, wood, hay, and fire that will burn when tested in the fire. And wewill suffer great loss for our life was nothing, compared to everything that it could have been.

Our lives can be filled so greatly! And yet we wont grasp ahold and say okay in this disloyal world i will choose to be completely loyal to one thing. One person. Father. And as we look to the end we realize that our lives are being purified to be like Him and our house is being built up from a solid foundation with firm walls. Heaven is not the end goal, disciipleship, living for the One that saves us is.