Friday, December 30, 2005

a thought on pride

i've just started a new book i got over Thanksgiving break, it's called "Humility - True Greatness" by C.J. Mahaney. since i didn't have to work today and everyone is out of my house doing different things, i decided it was a good time to sit in my quiet house and do a little reading. i read the following passage and i think it has so much impact to it that i couldn't help but post it on here. and as a disclaimer, i wasn't reading this passage thinking "oh, so and so needs to hear this" or anything, and the quoting of this passage is not directed at anybody, so no one go off and think "oh she SO wrote that because of me, i hate her and her sombrero!"...or anything like that. it's just a passage that impacted me in a big way when i read it and i pray it will continue to impact me.

"Pride takes innumerable forms but has only one end: self-glorification. That's the motive and ultimate purpose of pride - to rob God of legitimate glory and to pursue self-glorification, contending for supremacy with Him. The proud person seeks to glorify himself and not God, thereby attempting in effect to deprive God of something only He is worhty to receive. No wonder God opposes pride. No wonder He hates pride." (pg. 32)

pride is one of those sins that sometimes is not blatantly visible in people's lives. if someone has a problem with getting drunk, you know it. if someone has a problem with sexual morality, you know it. it's visible, you see their struggle. THEY know they're sinning (i'm talking from a believer's standpoint). pride often hides below the surface. it's a sin that is hard to realize you have unless you take time to allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart and show you where you struggle in living a life in total submission to the Lord. but it's such a serious sin. i'd even venture to say that pride is, in essence, at the root of all sin. it's a serious sin that's often not taken seriously.

back to reading.

keep it real.
~jen~

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

this little thing called "L..."

no, not love.

it's this little thing named Lucy that has kept me busy the past week and a half. andy, sadie, and lucy flew in on the 18th and are staying until Jan. 2nd. i'm getting tons of time in with them and it's been so much fun! i'm anxious to spend some more time with my friends though (for real, guys!). but i know that after they leave next monday, i'll have tons and tons of time to run around with a sombrero on my head and scream "holy guacamole!" with my friends.

i'm sitting here, drinking my coffee, waiting for the rest of the gang to get ready so we can FINALLY go to kregel and pick up some new music.

i caved this week. i went and saw Narnia with my family. ONLY because my mom had free gift certificates for all of us to go so i didn't have to pay. i've never been a fan of the Narnia stuff. yes, i hear those gasps of disbelief from you all. i don't like Narnia, i don't like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, i don't like the Wizard of Oz, i don't like Lord of the Rings. there, i said it. i don't know why i don't like these movies, but i think it's because of the overwhelming presence of masked characters. i have a phobia of people in masks. yes, i'm weird. i also can't stand lipstick, it makes me want to gag.

Narnia was a very well-made movie and has such an awesome message to it. i'll give it that. i might even watch it again if someone rents it.

it is so dark and gloomy out. it's been like this pretty much all week. when i lived in california, i would've been so stoked to have a dark and gloomy day. i'd get all excited and want to curl up inside and hope for a big thunderstorm. that's because it was usually sunny there and to have full cloud-cover was rare. in michigan, it's more rare to see the sun than to see the clouds (especially in the winter). so while it's exciting for maybe the first day, after the 1,248,309th consecutive day of darkness, it gets a little old.

so maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration. but still.

possibly some big plans in the works for this summer. stay tuned as they solidify. (oooh - now i have you curious, eh?)

kregel, here i come.

keep it real.
~jen~

Friday, December 02, 2005

Soon to come

new post soon to come, i half promise. after this next monday (dec. 5th i think) i'll have time to write up something. stay tuned, yo.

keep it real.
jen