Friends :)

Friends possess remarkable keys. They open the locked doors of our lives. They give us entrance to places we'd never dare to go by ourselves. They fling wide gates of lush, secret gardens. They take us to treasure rooms glistening with gifts we're sure we don't deserve.

Friends unlatch the windows of our souls. They grip the drapes we've drawn around ourselves and yank them back to let God's gleaming light stream in. They pull and tug until the windows pop open and fresh, new breezes fill our musty hearts.

When storms throw trees across our path, a friend will lend her (or his) strength to haul the logs away. Friends are not fazed by our roadblocks. They come equipped with chain saws. They help us chop our obstacles life firewood then strike a match to them. They make sparks fly up from the flames. They say, "Why not sit awhile and warm yourself by this nice fire?" When the smoke clears, friends pass out coat hangers and feast with us on roasted marshmallows until the last ember dies.

Friends have sight where we are blind. They are guides through the jungles of our past. They are fearless to face the dangers we know lurk beneath the brush. Friends hack and slash at the wild, clinging thoughts that bind us. With grace, they loose us from our blindfolds then tie them on branches marking a trail for the future.

Friends create breakthroughs. The best ones are agents of God. Like him, they stand us in front of a mirror and introduce us to ourselves.

Leann Weiss "Hugs for Friends"


I want to thank all of my friends for being amazing people in my life. All of you guys have been such a blessing to me and have helped me in numerous ways throughout my journey called life. A hug is a priceless jester but can be that one thing some one else needs. A simple thing such as a hug can mean so much to a person and I encourage those that read this to give someone a hug today. I pray that God may bless you the way He has been blessing me. *HUGS*

Remove the Veil

Today started off by me waking up at the crack of dawn for some odd reason (got to love the internal alarm clock). I really did not want to get out of bed because I was thinking of how nice it was just to lay there in my nice comfortable bed with soft sheets. (Thank you God for blessing me with it :) However, I did not because I needed my day to start.

As I was looking through some old papers, I came across some from Sunday school last summer when we were doing Lectio Divina. The way we did Lectio Divina was by reading three different versions or translations of the same passage, which was provided for us. Then, we would split up in to smaller groups (4-6 people) and have some one read the first version out loud. And we were suppose to circle/underline a word that really stood out to us. Next, some one read the second version and we were suppose to circle/underline a phrase that stood out to us and give a sentence or two why. Lastly, a person would read the third version and we would think and share 'what can I take away from this passage' and 'what can I do this week that brings glory to God'. (I did not think I would like this but after a couple times doing it I really did.)

This particular passage is from 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. The first version is New International Version and the word that caught my eye was "transformed". The second version is New Living Translation and the phrase(s) that stood out to me were: "people's minds were hardened", "this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ", "their hearts are covered with that veil", "we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord", and "we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more". Any body at any time can have a harden heart but it is through and in Christ that they are soften. Let God soften your heart so you can be a mirror that reflects the glory of the Lord. The last version is English Standard Version and what stood out from this version was "we have such a hope, we are very bold" and "we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another". Moses put a veil over his face so the people from Israel would not be able to see the glory fading away. Don't be like Moses and put on a veil in front of others. Instead let your light shine! The word "transformed" really got me thinking especially lately since I feel that I have been and am being transformed by God.

By my questions still are:
-To what degree are you being transformed?
-Are you letting God soften your heart or remove the veil to be transformed to the fullest?

Kutless--More Than It Seems