Conservative Christianity vs. Christianity

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O Praise Him

Dad, Mom, and Baby Julian will be on their way home this afternoon. We are, of course, overjoyed. This is condsiderably earlier than I originally expected. 'Still anticipating that hearing test, however.

Leaning on Him,

Gray

On the mend...

Thank you for your prayers! Keep it up! Paul Julian will not be in the ICU much longer and soon we will be able to hold him!

His neurological test results were very encouraging. We're just anticipating his hearing test now.

I've been so blessed by your words of encouragement. Thank you, everyone.

What a relief to be able to put this post under that ever-growing label, "Things I Love" --unlike that last one.

Leaning on Him,

Gray

Paul Julian: prayers needed.

Beautiful, wonderful news! Paul Julian, the latest addition to my family, was born on the 18th.

However, I have an urgent prayer request for you all. Little Paul is in the hospital right now due to a severe case of jaundice. His bilirubin level is drastically higher than it should be, which can potentially damage his brain and hearing. Mom just called to tell me that things are getting more complicated and that he is getting blood transfusions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray for our new, precious blessing! Pray especially that his little brain would be protected. Pray that his UV treatment in the hospital would be effective.

Lord! This is so scary.

Leaning on Him,

--Gray

Good Reading.

A quest for my dear Christian blogger friends:I need an enriching devotional book. In my Bible, I'm currently reading James, which is one of my favorites. However, I like to have something else to read during my quiet time as well. I've read, Beautiful Girlhood. I've read, Talks for Girls and Dear Princess. All three of these were astoundingly fruitful for my 'run' with God. When I read these, I was pretty much sprinting.

But I've gotten all the benefit I can from them. I've read multiple devotionals 'for Teens' which I found to be almost insulting the emotional complexity of adolescence, you know what I'm talking about? Gordon MacDonald's, Ordering your Private World was excellent. Anything by George MacDonald is terrific. I started So Much More by the Botkin sisters and, to most of your great chagrin, I'm sure, objected strongly to quite a bit of its content --though I respect the authors as sisters in Christ. I also began A Lamp Unto My Feet by Elizabeth Eliot, which I enjoyed.

Currently I'm reading, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. The content is full of depth and quality and I love the entire book's premise. However, I'm not deriving much applicable wisdom from it. Perhaps in another stage in life I'll be able to appreciate it more fully. It deals a lot with conquering worry, which is not one of my main struggles, though --good grief!-- I have plenty others.

What I'm asking is this-- what's your favorite devotional? Why do you recommend it? What impact did it have on your spiritual run?

Thank you for your thoughts-

--Gray

A Million Lights

This Sunday's song to my Lord:

The video is nothing special, but this song is great. My favorite lines:

If I fall fast asleep it's just/ because I feel so safe in You.

When I fell down/ You raised me up/That's gravity.

When I fell down you were/ standing there waiting for me/ You picked me up, welcomed me home/ That's gravity

Running with God

My walk with God?

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Acts 20:24: However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

1 Corinthians 9:24: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Galatians 5:7: You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?

2 Timothy 4:7: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Hebrews 12:1: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

___________________________________________

My walk with God? I'm not walking. I'm running. Starting now.

~Gray

It's Christmas Eve's eve.

And yesterday was the eve of Christmas Eve's eve, in case you find that interesting.

Only 2 links left on Milo (3yo) and Ava's (5yo) green and red paper chain...

'Tis the season,

Ginger Bread Bracie

I never thought I'd do it....

But I'm sooo happy to be proven wrong. Voila! Here we have a blog post devoted entirely to... *drum roll* ..... the one, the only... Taylor Swift!

Believe it or not, this blog is by a girl who is/was the biggest Taylor Swift snob ever.

That's me. I was a Swift Snob, I guess you could say.

She's been pretty much a sensation, right? 8 grammy nods, wasn't it? Don't ask me how I know, either. I surprise myself.

More albums sold and song downloads than any other country star EVER, I do believe I read somewhere.

So at times it's seemed like myself and a few of my friends (I see you raising your hand back there, Peach!) are the only backlash. The only teen girls who AREN'T absolutely digging all of her songs.

Why didn't I like her?

a. Her song writing is immature (to be expected, I suppose, when you wrote some of your hits when you were 15 or so)

b. I don't like the image she portrays (I had a hard time finding a picture I wanted to put on this blog, honestly. Not that they were all immodest, I just didn't like the tone...).

Criticisms aside!

Today, Ophie and I were very shocked and very pleased to stumble across this song in our quest for good Christmas music. Her two other Christmas songs were I-miss-you-this-Christmas-breakup/love songs.

She can write a good break-up song, by the way. *Grins sheepishly*

We listened to the first 30 seconds of this song, expecting it to be no different than the others we'd tried. Then I perked up.
Listen--- just listen to it! How many popular singers (and, as I said above, she's VERY popular!) have the courage to risk the love of their fan base, dare to be controversial, and share what they really believe about Christmas?

My favorite part is the last chorus when she sings the name of Jesus Christ. Sings the name of Jesus Christ!

I'm not saying that she might not go and write a blatantly immoral song someday. My hope is not in celebrities. If she disappoints me-- and Christians everywhere--- it is because she is human.

But this was brave and deserves to be applauded!

Amen! More!

Keep it up, Taylor!

See ya, self!

I decided to have fun with this week's song. Sorry the video is so cheesy- it was the best one they had on YouTube, and I love being able to read the lyrics!

After too many whiny break-up songs (which are ----occasionally----- good in their own right) this made me crack up. And I know it's been out for a while but....

I hope you crack up like I do.

Revelation Song

One Youtube commenter wrote-

"This song gave me goose bumps!"

As it should. God is working here!

Keri Jobe's voice is stunning.

This song is powerful...

Have a blessed Sunday.

Lord, your love is strong!

Sing His Praise!

I love this song. It's been on my heart all week. Have a blessed Sunday!