its been awhile

Wow, its been almost 4 months since my last blog post. Shocking.

In about 6 weeks, I will be in England! I'm going through the School of Government's Oxford Program, so I'm sure it will be very intensive/interesting. Before I go, I need to read 7 books for one of the classes I'm taking...so far, 2 down, 5 to go.

Here's what I've read about so far: Muslims are changing the landscape of Europe and they're doing it at a very fast rate. In the past 50 years, "Arabs" have grown from 80 million to 320 million! A common expression I've read is that Muslims are going to "outbirth" Europeans (and eventually Americans). If you have time for some extra interesting reading, check out "God's Continent" by Philip Jenkins and "The Great Confrontation" by Ilya Gaiduk.

Last week, I went to the Coldplay concert at the Amphitheater. Everyone and their mom was there because Coldplay is AMAZING! When they played Yellow, lots of large yellow balloons were dropped from the rafters onto the crowd. That was awesome enough, but to top it off, they played my favorite song, which was an answer to my prayers.

Right before the concert started, I asked God to do me a little favor and have them play my song for me (its a really obscure one, so it was a stretch). The show was almost over and they had played all their popular songs, so I was prepared to leave without my "moment," but THEN they moved to a platform on the lawn really close to where I was sitting and played my song. SO WONDERFUL! It was such a worship moment for me...oh, the little things God does for me and you : ). I left that concert with my heart overflowing.

come what may

As I've been bombarded with article after article on the MSN newspage this week discussing love, how to be in love, how to find true love, how to kiss better, etc., I thought, "not one of those articles really discusses true love." It is only lust parading around as love. Such a farce. The secret many people give to finding love is to follow the correct body signals, dress wonderfully everyday (because you never know when you'll meet Mr. or Miss Right), and put yourself in the correct social circles. Love is so superficial...no wonder so many people get divorced.

Love is so much more than external beauty, attraction, and perfect manners. You have to choose to love. Instant attraction only lasts so long. Love is laying down your life for your friend. Bailing out when the times get tough is not love because love endures all things!!!!!

If only people were taught this stuff:

{1 Corinthians 13}

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind;
love does not envy;
love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail;
whether there are tongues, they will cease;
whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Psalm 63:3 "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."

John 15:17 "This is my command: Love each other."

Just go to a concordance and look up "love" and you'll have hours of reading ahead of you. So, here's my abbreviated lesson for the day: Look to Jesus, because He is Love. Don't look to the ridiculous articles online.

Come what may, love never fails. Thank you, Jesus.

: )

Super Bowl ads

MSN came out with the "Top 10 Super Bowl ads" today (#3 is my favorite). Here are some more that I thought were pretty funny. If you have absolutely nothing better to do, take a look : )

Fedex "Cast Away"

Monster.com "When I Grow Up"

EDS "Herding Cats"

Budweiser "Streaker" (you may not need to see this)

and another Budweiser commercial

Enjoy : )

Inauguration facts(!)

In view of the looming inauguration, here are a bunch of facts about the ceremony. Anyone who has seen the Pink Panther movies knows it sounds way better to say "Fact!" with a French accent. Any piece of information with a French sounding "Fact!" before it sounds better, for that matter. So,

Fact -

The inauguration ceremony during which Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States will be the 55th inauguration ceremony in this country's history, and the 19th held since inauguration day was switched from March 4th to January 20th.Inauguration Day was originally set for March 4th in order to give members of the Electoral College from each State four months from election day to cast their ballots for president.

Fact -

Weather's greatest impact on inauguration day came in 1841 when William Henry Harrison decided to brave the elements and deliver the longest inauguration speech ever, an oration lasting an hour, 40 minutes.It was a cloudy, cold and blustery day, and Harrison, who wore neither hat nor overcoat, rode a horse to and from the Capitol ceremony. He subsequently caught a cold that developed into pneumonia. A month later, Harrison died.

Fact -

The warmest January 20th inauguration day came in 1981 when Ronald Reagan was sworn into office under mostly cloudy skies. The temperature at noon on this inauguration day was 55 degrees.

Fact -

The shortest inauguration speech was delivered by George Washington at his second inauguration on March 4, 1793. The speech totaled 135 words.

Fact -

At noon on January 20th the president-elect becomes President.

Fact -

Thomas Jefferson was the first president to complete his inauguration with a parade. Since Jefferson's second inauguration on March 4, 1805, it has become tradition for the president to parade down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.

Fact -

There have been nine presidents sworn in on days other than inauguration day — eight following eight presidential deaths and one after Richard Nixon's resignation.

Fact -

The coldest inauguration came in 1985 when Ronald Reagan was greeted by extreme cold and wind. The morning low was 4 degrees below zero with the temperature reaching only 7 degrees by noon. The daytime high reached 17 degrees, but wind chill temperatures in the afternoon were 10-20 degrees below zero. The swearing-in ceremony had to be held indoors and the parade was canceled.

Fact -

Though anyone legally authorized to administer an oath could swear in the President of the United States, to date there has been one person to do so who was not a judge. In 1923, John C. Coolidge, Calvin Coolidge's father (a notary public), swore in his son after the death of President Warren G. Harding. Fourteen of the 20 judges to have administered the oath were Chief Justices, dating back to when Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth swore in John Adams in 1797.

Fact -

Grover Cleveland is the only American president to attend two inaugurations as the outgoing president, enjoying the claim of being the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. After four years as the nation's 22nd president, Cleveland was beaten in the election of 1888 by Benjamin Harrison, and attended Harrison's inauguration in March of 1889. Upon leaving the White House, Frances Cleveland told a staff member to "take good care of all the furniture and ornaments in the house, for I want to find everything just as it is now, when we come back again."When asked when she planned to return, she said, "We are coming back four years from today." And she was right.In the election of 1892, Cleveland was re-elected in a rematch against Harrison, and after four more years in office he attended the 1897 inauguration of William McKinley, who had defeated Williams Jennings Bryan.

and finally,

Last fact -

Ronald Reagan's second inaugural had to compete with Super Bowl Sunday. (1985)

God Bless America.

drink in the Word

I was reading this passage earlier this morning, and I felt like yelling it. Such good stuff. {Especially the part about being joyful and praying continually.} Basically, it watered my soul and all I wanted to do was just soak it up over and over again. So, of course, I had to share it with you all. I hope you're drenched in it : )

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Be joyful always;

pray continually;

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not put out the Spirit's fire;

do not treat prophecies with contempt.

Test everything.

Hold on to the good.
Avoid every kind of evil.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.