Thoughts on Hillsong UNITED...

Last Saturday I had the privilege of worshipping with Hillsong UNITED and 1,000s of Brasilians. Hillsong UNITED was on my list of concerts to go to, and I was super excited that I got to see them here.

It was an incredible 2 1/2 hours of worship... but it was more than just that for me. It was an opportunity for me to see firsthand the passion that encompasses Brasil. Brasilians love intensely and express it extragantly! Soccer unites the country, and you will never meet a more enthusiastic, passionate soccer fan than a Brasilian. The sincere, intense, pure passion of those worhsipping around me at the Hillsong UNITED concert astounded me. And left me questioning the depth and desire of my worship. It also caused me to praise God for His goodness to me. For bringing me to this place. For allowing me to encounter this passionate lifestyle. And it leaves me crying out to God - asking Him to change me, to make me less like the person I entered the concert as, and more like the people that surrounded me.

meet george jetson!!!

Growing up in the 80s, I watched my fair share of the Jetsons...

As a kid, I thought the video phones the Jetsons used were pretty cool... then the other day when I was talking to my nephew on skype I realized that we are living in a jetson-like world. We don't have space cars yet, but the really cool video phone that George used to talk to his boss, Mr. Spacely, closely resembles video chat on skype.

I am so thankful for modern communication! It allows me to stay connected to my family & friends even though we are 1,000s of miles apart.

The other day my nephew Jesse (who is in kindergarten) counted to 100 for me and my niece Vanessa showed me her report card. I was also able to show my mom my haircut... and give my family a tour of my apartment. I love that I can still be involved in every day life with the people I love.

"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." -- Galatians 2:20

These words mean the breaking of my independence with my own hand and surrendering to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. No one can do this for me, I must do it myself. God may bring me up to the point three hundred and sixty-five times a year, but He cannot put me through it. It means breaking the husk of my individual independence of God, and the emancipating of my personality into oneness with Himself, not for my own ideas, but for absolute loyalty to Jesus... The one point to decide is - Will I give up, will I surrender to Jesus Christ, and make no conditions whatever as to how the break comes?

-- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest