Who do you want to LIVE for?

intercession...

'the act of intervening on behalf of another...the action of saying a prayer on behalf of another person.'

a beautiful thing. and very needed. we must intercede for people, both for those who don't know Jesus and also for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
~Jesus interceded~
prayer is powerful, a necessity, we need that time of intimacy with God. we read a book during Spring School, Don't Just Stand There PRAY Something, was the title (very very run on in style) in the book the author talked about prayer not being a cop-out or a weak alternative to true action. prayer is powerful, i have seen it work, prayer is powerful...it is not weak.

~but~

while talking with Q last evening, a conversation where so many beautiful things were discussed, this subject came up. Q looked at me and said,

"When was the last time we actually asked someone we know does not know Christ if they wanted Him, when was the last time we asked, who do you want to live your life for? yourself or Jesus?"

WHAT?!?!

yes, i pray that my friends who do not know Jesus to come to the knowledge of Him, I pray that God would open up opportunities to talk to them about Him, to be a light in their life. but honestly, when was the last time I actually asked them if they WANTED Jesus. i tend to think that if i have already told them about the saving Grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, that i don't need to ask again, they know what they need to do don't they, i have already told them, they just need to accept...right?

[maybe not]

that is what Q made me think about,
that is what she has been thinking about.

what a huge call to act, a blaring siren, a giant red flag waving in hurricane force winds, a slap to the face and a voice screaming directly into my unconsciously and (often times) consciously blocked ear canal.

when was the last time i asked those i have been praying for that question?

have i actually EVER asked them that question?

***************************************

...we need to ask...

"Who do you want to LIVE for? Yourself or Jesus?"

[i write this as much for a wake up call for myself just as much...no, even more so for me than for you! i MUST live what i preach, i must practice what i say, write, think, believe...i MUST MUST MUST MUST!]

"Ask me about Jesus"

I used to have a little red button that I would put on my backpack I would use for school that had that little 'slogan' on it. I thought I was pretty cool, taking a step out for Jesus, doing my part for the kingdom...

Maybe I was...maybe I wasn't

Maybe it was a cool thing, something that did invite others to actually ask me about my, then, very young and flimsy faith. It was a step in proclaiming the Good News that is Jesus Christ, a step in growing, a step in the right direction. But just a step non-the-less.

Now, after thinking about it...merely offering, and on a button, to be asked about Jesus means it is up to whoever else, whoever reads the tiny little button to walk up to me and voice their question.

But wait...

I am the one with the Good News!

I am the one with the knowledge...

the hope...

the voice of the saving Grace of Jesus Christ.

Why am I waiting for someone to come up to me and ask me about Jesus. Should I not be going out there, and screaming about Jesus at the top of my lungs, on every street corner, at every chance I get.

Maybe I should view everyone I see as someone who is wearing a big flashing billboard on their shoulders that says..."TELL me about Jesus!" They need to hear it anyway, it is not me that needs to tell them. And so many people do not know that they need to hear the News that is Jesus Christ. So many people do not yet feel the Christ shaped hole in their heart. So many people do no know...
they just don't know...

Beau's Mind

Alright, enjoy reading into my mind, this is where it has gone over the past thirty or so minutes this first day of the sixth month of June in the year of 2010 AD...

12 Days...
This is officially the month that I will go home.
12 Days...
I am ready to go home.
12 Days...
Am I really ready to go home?
12 Days...

This has been the most amazing 9 months of my entire life. If I was asked to put the whole experience into one sentence I don't think I could possibly do it any justice at all, not even in one paragraph. To much has been worked in me, to much has been worked through me, to much has changed, to much has been driven in further, to much to much to much to even put words too. But there are two words that put all the other words to shame...Jesus Christ...those two words are all that matter. Without those two words the last 9 months would have been nothing, notta, zilch, zip, zero.

"I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith."

Philippians 3:8 & 9

......
.......


Dreams

I want to be on Broadway. That is the most simple, and blunt way I can say it. I think it's crazy, it is crazy, but I want to do it. I've had it on my bucket list for a while now, but always as a kind of far out there just fun thing to have on a list thing. But, I WANT TO DO IT!
I don't care if I am the smallest part in the smallest production, but I want to do it.

You know, so many people would wonder how legitimate this dream is, so many people would ask how I am going to serve God if I do move to New York and wait for my big break. But you know, how am I serving God if I do not use the gifts he has given me? How is it serving God, if I do not follow the dreams he has placed in my heart?

......
......


If I could have any super power I would want the super power to either take away the pain of others, or a super power to make people forget their pain. I think of Jasper in the Twilight series (how embarrassing is that?) But he can control the emotions of anyone within a certain radius of him. How awesome would that be to be able to make people feel happy? How cool would it be to be able to allow someone to stop hurting.

......
......


this is where my mind has gone in the past few minutes. i must be insane...


.....
......


The background of my computer just changed to a picture I took of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. I cannot believe that I was there, just over a month ago. Mom and I saw Europe just over a month ago. London, Paris, Florence and Rome. What an awesome spring break that was. The history, the food, the people, time with my favorite mom...
Versailles comes up next on my desktop. The vastness of those grounds still astounds me as I look at the picture littered with so many people from all over the world walking up and down the gravel paths leading to the Grand Canal and off into the distance to the other 'smaller' villas and hamlets of the palace. I remember mom and I chatting as we walked back from Marie Antoinette's hamlet, I asked,
"Do you think that the royal family, if they had children, do you think they ever got bored with all of this? Like, do you think that the kids ever said they were bored and then the king said something like well go take a ride on the Grand Canal I mean we have like 9 ships on that thing, surely you can have some fun on there, or what about, go and take a horse back ride, we have hundreds of horses..." Is it all relative? I mean, as much as I hate to say it, I do get bored with the things I have, and I should not, I have more than enough to keep me satisfied and those things are not even what satisfy. But, with all of those things, a home the size of a small town, and a back yard the size of who knows what, I can still see the kids becoming bored with it.
Contentment, is quite a good escape artist after all.
he always has a way of slipping right out of our grip...or maybe we just do not hold on hard enough.

......
.....


The best thing I will be taking home from Capernwray, yes better than all the awesome clothes I have gotten at all my new favorite stores, better than the british versions of Harry Potter, better than even the Trebor Mints that I LOVE, are the memories that I have made, the memories with friends, with God. The times that I have laughed, the times that I have cried, the times that I have enjoyed and the times that I have not enjoyed. Those are what are most important. Those things that do not add weight to my already heavy suitcase, they do not need to be declared as I go through customs to enter back into the United States of America, things that no one can see, no can hear, no one can feel, touch, smell, taste or understand. But those things I can hear, can feel, can touch, can smell, can remember...always remember. Those memories are the most important things. But they are not only memories, they are promises of the future. Promises of continued friendship, even though an ocean may separate us, promises of fun to come, promises of a continued relationship with my Lord. The best promises.

.....
.....


12 days left to enjoy this place, to enjoy the people, and yes even to enjoy the sheep...
12 days
Thank God for those 12 glorious days.