Whaddya Gonna Do Abowd It

I ran across these lyrics today. Hadn't heard them in a while. In a new place now where these words are more real. Maybe they will stir your spirit too. There are people like this everywhere who have never even heard the beautiful name of Jesus. Should we not give them the best news they'll ever hear?

Even people who have never heard the name or story of Jesus still know God is there. It is instilled in every human being whether recognized or not. God commands us that it is our job to take to them the gospel. If we did, they would not have questions like these...

From an outcast to God:

Disney's God Help the Outcast
Hunchback of Notre Dame


I don't know if You can hear me
Or if You're even there
I don't know if You will listen
To a humble prayer
They tell me I am just an outcast
I shouldn't speak to you
Still I seek Your face and wonder...
Were You once an outcast too?

God help the outcasts
Hungry from birth
Show them the mercy
They don't find on earth
The lost and forgotten
They look to You still
God help the outcasts
Or nobody will

I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many
Less lucky than I
God help the outcast
The poor and downtrod
I thought we all were
The children of God

I don't know if there's a reason
Why some are blessed, some not
Why the few you seem to favor
They fear us, flee us
Try not to see us

God help the outcasts
The tattered the torn
Seeking an answer
To why they were born
Winds of misfortune
have blown them about
You made the outcast
Don't cast them out

The poor and unlucky
The weak and the odd
I thought we all were
The children of...

God


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Change of Pace: New Year

Well, well, well. Welcome to The Near Year of 2011. And snow. Lots of snow. And loss of work because of the snow. But you don't hear me complaining. It's nice to have more time with the fam and that fun little baby. Lots have been happening here at my household including Toy Story. Lots and lots of Toy Story. I can quote them now. Moms, you know what I mean.

So what are your resolutions? Or have you just stopped making them because it is completely pointless because you never keep them passed February, right? Well, I almost didn't make mine from last year- to read the New Testament. I had to finish it the first week in January. I announced to the great world of facebook that I wouldn't be back until I did. It's amazing what a little encouragement that can do for ya. Sad, really. And once I got back on facebook, I realized I hardly missed it at all. Funny how that happens, eh?

I guess sometimes it's just healthy to step back from things you do on a daily basis. You just might find that they're taking up too much of your time, how small or large that time may be.

Happy New Year. Here's to The Old Testament. (I think I'll try it in The Message Remix...)

PS. http://www.2911studios.com is now open!

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To the Spiritual. To Me.

BTW, it's been a while. I know... :D

Once upon a time, you were considered a Man of God if you told people you were religious. Over time, and through much hypocrisy, people now tell others that they are spiritual instead, because that is what their faith is about. And now, I am starting to see the disgust in non-believers faces when we throw out such religious jargon such as this. I'm sure they don't even enjoy the label, non-believers.

What I want to say to you today is this: We are not to judge anyone. If you must judge, judge yourself only. You can't even judge your own spouse, sibling, cousin, mother, or father. You have no idea what their spiritual life is like.

Let us not become content in what we do. For example, when you finally find the perfect skin care line, after much hard work and a lot of searching, you become content with your beauty secret. And it becomes just that. Your little secret. Another example: The church has searched and searched for music to relate to people, and Contemporary Christian Music has come about. It took a lot of effort to get there. And it is reaching so so so many people. But now what? Do we become content in our search, and make it our little secret? Or do we begin a new search, and a new search, and a new one? Why do we become so sure of ourselves in the way we relate to the public?

I ask you this not to judge our Sunday morning worship sets. I absolutely love worshipping with my fellow believers on Sunday mornings, and I always enjoy it. I am a music fan. You give me just about any song, and as long as it has a good beat, and is not offensive, chances are, I am gonna relax and enjoy it.

If you are a fan of that country music song that talks about how special life is, and how you think your wife is just the sweetest, but you are afraid to let your pastor in on your secret favorite song, please. Come on. Our so-called spiritual life, and our regular, everyday life, are the same. How you treat people that know you're a Christian and those who don't... It's all the same. Jesus did not die on the cross just for us to rejoice only in the fact that He died on the cross. Get me? He died so that we might have life! Life!!! Not just enjoyment in that one event. He wants us to enjoy our spouse, and tell everyone just how much they mean to us. Hey, why not even sing a song about it? He wants us to enjoy our children, our jobs, our friendships. And if we so feel led to rejoice in those things, then rejoice in those things! If you are rejoicing in these things because they are personal accomplishments, then no. If you are rejoicing in these things because God has given them to you to enjoy? Then, by all means, yes! Tell the world about your loving family. Tell the world that Jesus lives. If you make them two separate parts of your life, you're not going to impact many. So many people miss out on church because they despise the hypocrisy in it all, and how none of it relates to real life.

Judge your own spiritual intentions constantly. Stay on the ball. Your ball. Not on anyone else's. How dangerous a place to be, judging others' spiritual lives.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I almost did not write this blog because by doing so, I criticize those criticizing. So what does that make me? So I say these things to you in conviction of my own judgement. May I live what I teach.

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The Cleaning Process: Dance, The Example

Sorry it's been so long, my peeps. I haven't been able to login to my blogger in quite some time...

So. What up? With me? Well, my dance classes are coming to a close as Recital 2010 is drawing near. A couple of my classes have been finished with their dance for two weeks now, which is one week ahead of goal. They have worked their buns off on memorization, and now it is time to make 'em look, sound and move like the gems and team they are. My other classes are notsumuch there, but if they pick it up and work hard the next 3 weeks, they'll rock it out in recital too. They have the potential, let's see if they have the drive.

I love this process, especially this part of the process... THE CLEANING PROCESS. I love it. The cleaning process is where we take the dancers as individuals, and make them look and sound like the whole. Get it? Working together to be one! Hmmm... Sounds like something we were assigned to do, as Christians, am I right?

So today I encourage you to work with one another, rather than against or close to. Let's not judge, diminish or put down one another for our lack of religious disagreements and misinterpretations of God's law. Let's live out in love and as imperfect people ourselves.

Here's to you and that goal!

Much love, Tara K

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Spring Break

Aaah. Spring Break. When you get back from your busy vaca schedule, do you ever feel like you need a vacation... again? Whew. I need myself a day off to regather myself and rest from my week of so-called resting. Don't get me wrong. I love and need that time of getaway, especially when it involves visiting family you only see a few times a year. Some of them, only once, depending on who can come visit you. But a day of vaca after vaca is just what ya need sometimes.

That got me to thinking about God's vacation days. Let's see. He's been around since, like, forever... so. How many days has He taken to rest? As far as I know, just the one, right? Surely He doesn't sit back and watch us squirm so He can zone and tune us out for a week or two per year... Right?

Vacation isn't the only thing that can wear us out. If you are not a church-goer, then you might just be tired of all the "say" that Christians have with no "do." And if you're a Christian, you may be burnt out on all the trivial things that you can get caught up in inside the church doors. No matter who you are, or what you're worn out from, here's a passage for you:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

-Matthew 11:28, The Message

Walk and talk with Him. Learn HIS way of doing things. Not the church's or the world's.

Rest up! Much love, Tara K

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Seasoned with Salt

Sometimes you may not have the right words to say. Sometimes you don't know just what to pray either. And sometimes it's hard just trying to figure out what to say to those whom we want to encourage, but don't know.

We have been given instructions. (How convenient.) ;)

Devote yourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, [Paul and his messengers, which now you can insert your pastor and teachers here], too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:2-6

Just as a sports player follows his coach's playbook, we have been given our own.

In Him, Tara K

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The Giggles

Now I'm not sure I totally believe this statement, because you might be in a place where no laughter has come in your day, but there sure is, at least, a smile of hope.

I had a fabulous lunch today. Not because of a fancy place. Or because of a high-class, artsy dinner, which I do enjoy. Not because of the designer clothes I put on. No. None of that happened. It was in a cafeteria. It smelled just like an elementary school, as a matter of fact. Took me back.

But it was because of the company. Ever laughed so hard that you had a case of "The Giggles" that wouldn't go away once you got started with them? Yeah. The kind you get sitting in a room where you should be acting like a lady (or a fine young gentleman, perhaps in your case), and then someone farts really loud? For some reason, a fart is just funnier in those situations, isn't it?

I pray you're having a good day, and even that you get a case of "The Giggles." Although it is hard to see sometimes, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and the reason for that is the bright, shining Son.

Much love, Tara K

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