God Is the Gospel

So we (the members of the Gimotty care group) are beginning a new study. We will be going through John Piper's amazing book entitled God is the Gospel. Unfortunately as a result of my recent surgery (the removal of those nasty little inconveniences called wisdom teeth) I was not able to attend the first meeting centered around this study. :( For shame! But I did read the introduction and the first chapter myself at home, and even with such a small bit of exposure was deeply, deeply encouraged by Mr. Piper's words. This is just a breif section of the introduction, but it is so very lovely I thought I'd share it with ya'll:

THE HIGHEST, BEST, FINAL, DECISIVE GOOD IN THE GOSPEL

"The gospel of Jesus Christ reveals what splendor is. Paul
calls it the "light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of
God" (2 Cor. 4:4). Two verses later he calls it "the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ."

When I say "God is the gospel" I mean that the highest, best,
final, decisive good of the gospel, without which no other gifts would be good,
is teh glory of God in the face of Christ revealed for our everlasting
enjoyment. The saving love of God is God's commitment to do everything necessary
to enthrall us with what is most deeply and durably satisfying, namely himself.
Since we are sinners and have no right and no desire to be enthralled with God,
therefore God's love enacted a plan of redemption to provide that right and that
desire. The supreme demonstration of God's love was the sending of his Son to
die for our sins and to rise again so taht sinners might have the right to
approach God and might have the pleasure of his presence forever.

In order for the Christian gospel to be good news it must
provide and all-satisfying and eternal gift that undeserving sinners can receive
and enjoy. For that to be true, the gift must be three things. First, the gift
must be purchased by the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God. Our sins must be covered, and the wrath of God against us must be removed,
and Christ's righteousness must be imputed to us. Second, the gift must be free
and not earned. There would be no good news if we had to merit the gift of the
gospel. third, the gift must be God himself, above all his other gifts..."

John Piper

God Is the Gospel

copyright 2005 Desiring God Foundation

What God says about Love

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
~ 1st John 4:7-12

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."
~ 1st John 4:16-18

"1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails."
~ 1st Corinthians 13:1-8

"13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
~ 1st Corinthians 13:13

Summer '09 = Summer of Loooovee ;)

I am still in a slight state of shock that school is already here and summer is just about to slip away without us noticing. What happened? The Past 3 months have been an amazing time of wonderful-ness, and I'm not quite ready to give up that warm, happy, feel-good glow. I am going to miss the sound of the cicadas outside my window. I am going to miss the watermelon. I am going to miss driving with the windows down with the wind whipping back my hair. *Sigh* I am one big sentimental mess, and I have come to a conclusion.

I have been mis-placed.

I am supposed to live in Florida........

.........where the sunsets look like this. Every. Freakin'. Night.

I am torn, though. Mexico is pretty amazing, too.

But then I think about awesome places in Kansas, like the Sharp farm...

And trampolines.....

...and fireworks in big open fields...

...and firework SHOWS...

......and playing baseball.....

.....and the huge, open Prairie sky.....

........and wildflowers (how I love them).........

.........and cute horses......

..........and balloons tied up in trees for the 4th of July.......

........and I wonder......

If Kansas isn't really such a bad place after all. :)

Now That I Have Seen

Albertine

by Brooke Fraser

I am sitting still, I think of Angelique

Her mother's voice over me

And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent

And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine

There in her eyes what I don't see with my own

Rwanda

Now that I have seen, I am responsible

Faith without deeds is dead

Now that I have held you in my own arms, I will not let go till you are

I am on a plane, across a distant sea

But I carry you in me

And the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet

I will tell the world, I will tell them where I have been

I will tell the world

I will tell them Albertine

I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me

I will tell them Albertine

I will tell them Albertine

This is my Albertine...my Samantha. Now that I have seen, I am responsible. And I will never forget.

The Incredible Florida Sky

At the Pier

I have to say, Benjami did take some awesome shots. But at least I cropped and edited this one? haha =)

He took this one too. Seriously, it is brilliant. Can anyone say "museum"!

I personally kind of HATE fishing, but Julianna, Karen, and Abby are the fishing queens! The two little girls each caught like, 8 a peice. They are so cool! =)

Up Nest: Sunset pictures