Everything is amazing, nobody is happy...

One and Only Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGmhfxNsFAQ

Lifehouse: Everything

LIfe House "Everything" skit from Megan Turner on Vimeo.

Heaven to Earth

When you sit and seriously look at your life, is what you have been doing, what you're doing now, and what you're about to do worth kingdom gain?

This morning I was sitting and reflecting on God's hand in my life and cannot believe the incredible blessings that I see. Blessings that I don't deserve yet God continues to give them. I honestly can't help but continually give all of me to Him.

I recently had a conversation with a guy that I really look up to and he asked me that question; "Is what you're doing worth kingdom gain? What you're doing right now, is it bringing heaven to earth?" It's an honest and good question. Concluding the fact that God's hand is so present in my life, everything I do should be worth kingdom gain. Everything I say and do should be an effort to bring heaven to earth.

So what stops us from continuing to give God everything? What stops us from continuing to be that light? Before you know it, life on earth will be over and we will stand before the creator of everything and He may ask the same question.

Burdens

1 Timothy 4:12

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example...

Shaheen - Britain's Got Talent 2009-04-18 from SCORCCiO Sample Replays on Vimeo.

The Rescue

Celebration of Hope 09

April 20-24

We Stand
For most Americans, nourishment is easy. We go to the grocery store, head to a restaurant, or drive past a window where prepared food is handed to us in a matter of seconds. We turn on a faucet, and clean water flows instantly into our homes.
We are an exception.
More than 1.1 billion people don’t have access to clean water. In many parts of the world, women and children carry 40-pound jugs for miles to retrieve their daily allotment—and even then, the water may not be safe to drink.
It’s a critical situation. Every five seconds, a child dies from hunger-related causes. Every fifteen seconds, a child dies from water-related diseases. And with the global economic slide, another 100 million people have slipped into extreme poverty.

Take the 5-Day Challenge
As an act of solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the globe, we encourage you to eat for five days, April 20–24, as the bottom economic half of the world does every day. Eat the three meals of your day using only the options below. Set aside the money you would have spent on additional groceries, and donate it to Celebration of Hope, which will support those who struggle with hunger and thirst.
Meal Options
- Plain oatmeal or Cream of Wheat
- A tortilla, rice, and beans
- Rice with bits of fish or chicken, and a vegetable
- Tap water

Food Portions
Portion sizes around the world are much smaller than a typical American meal. One cup or eight ounces is a generous portion. Meat is a luxury, with the average African consuming about ¾ ounce per day—the size of a small chicken nugget. Fresh fruit is rare, available only if locally grown and in season.
While these meals seem small by American standards, they actually represent diets in the broad middle when compared to the rest of the world. Half the world’s population lives on no more than $2 a day. Approximately 1 billion people live on even less—only $1 per day.
Water
Public water systems in the United States generally provide adequate, accessible, clean water for the common good in environmentally sustainable ways.
Choosing to drink bottled water when there is a safe and convenient public source nearby can be both financially wasteful and harmful to the environment. Please avoid such options during the challenge, as they are not readily available for the people we are standing with. Drink water from your Celebration of Hope cup and remember the more than 1.1 billion people who don't have access to clean water.

© Willow Creek

The greatness of God

It's unbelievable to look around and see all the incredible things that God created. But it's strange that even after we see the greatness of God, we still tend to think everything is about us. Look around today - see if you can see the attributes of God in the world around you.

The Rescue :2 weeks:

The Rescue Instructional Video from Jason Russell on Vimeo.

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/lastminute/index.php?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=rescueinfoemail

OneMillionCan

On our own, we can each make a difference in the world.

But collectively we are a force for good that exponentially surpasses what we can do alone.
Moving together, small sacrifices from each of us can make a huge difference in the lives of people around the globe.

©onemillioncan

Check out www.onemillioncan.com

How are Christians viewed?

"Unchristian" Intro HD from Scotts Hill on Vimeo.
unChristian by David Kinnaman is a great book that discusses how Christians are viewed in todays world. His results came from extensive research by Barna. It makes it more clear why James 1:22 is so important.

The Rescue :Invisible Children:

The Rescue: Full (avi version) from Invisible Children Europe on Vimeo.

therescue.invisiblechildren.com

What does it mean to be a Christ Follower?

What does it mean to be fully devoted to you? What does being a Christian really even mean? If it means being a Christ follower or being Christ like, how is that even suppose to feel?

Why is it that we have been given two options? One good and one bad? Why is it, that if we choose the bad one, the wide and easy road, it feels so good, yet feels us so empty, so broken and so alone?  And if we choose the good one, choose You, it's ultimately fulfilling, rewarding and full of unbelievable peace, yet, it is so much harder?  Honestly, how many times can I look away and when I turn back You're still standing there with arms wide open? Because when reality comes I feel like I can't do it.

I try so hard to be something I'm not.  It is so hard to be the biblical definition of Christ follower.  One that drops everything and lives his life to magnify You.  When I'm at church or at school, I feel like I'm surrounded by the same type of people.  People that say they believe in You and who You are, but when they step a foot outside, into the world, they put on the same face that I carry around.  The face that says, yes, I believe in Christ yet I'm going to act the same way as the world.

Well God, this is it.  I don't want to live like that anymore.  I don't want to live the way culture tells me I will succeed.  Because I know those paths lead to the roads of selfishness, discontent, and worldly gain, which will eventually die out anyway.  I want to live my life differently.  I want people to look at my life and see You.  I want to live my life parallel to Yours.  I truly believe in my heart that You are who You say You are.  So I know what that means... I get one shot, one chance to make a difference, one chance to live my life the way You see it.  I understand that in the eyes of eternity, my life here on earth is just a blink, a fraction of a second.

In light of that, I have three years left of high school.  When I graduate, I don't want to be just another picture on the wall.  When people pass by, I want them to say, "Man, Mark Robinson made a difference in my life." Or, "Mark Robinson made a difference in this school." Or most importantly, "Mark Robinson lived for something greater than himself."

Your word says that there is nothing greater than to follow after You.  "To live a life worthy of the calling which I have received."  The calling to spread the word of God, to speak truth, Your truth into others, no matter where I am, no matter what I am doing. 

Well, this is it God, in that, I ask then that you give me the wisdom and the strength to do so because God, I don't want to waste my life.

© Mark Robinson