March 14, 2004 at 6:16 pm
Church today was awesome.
Pastor Todd talked about making decisions through faith. He gave us four steps to making decisions, but the overall feel of the sermon was that you have to let God make your decisions for you. You need to put God in the driver's seat in your life, and go down the roads God leads you toward.
At the first "read-through" of the Living Christmas Tree last September, Todd spoke about our lives being like a bicycle. There were the handlebars, for steering purposes, and then there were the pedals. Basically it was just a bike cut in half. You know what I mean.
The handlebars symbolized fellowship. You hold on to your Christian friends as tightly as you can so that you don't lose them, and they help you to see and take the paths that God wants you to take during the course of your life.
The pedals symbolized worship. Did you ever get that feeling when you just finished a big worship service or session or whatever you want to call it, that you are so energized, and just want to keep going? Well yeah. Kind of like when you are pedalling on a bike, you just have to keep going. Worship keeps your faith strong and gets you all excited about being a Christian.
Well it does that for me anyway.
Melissa's birthday party was last night. I met some of her school friends, Jacob, Brenden, and one that I already knew kind of, Andrew. His father is the pastor of a church down there somewhere, so yeah we saw Andrew at a meeting thing for all the church's youth leaders around the Miramichi. Then he was at ABU in View, and at youth rallies and all that fun stuff around here. But I never knew he was so stunned as he was last night. I mean, every other time I've been with him, he was always a little on the "duh" side, but he's like a male version of Sara. Craziness.
Brenden, or "TV guy" [Sara thought he looked like a guy on TV, so that's what we called him all night] was really funny. I sat with him when we were playing a game, and he's just a riot. And then Jacob was just weird. I can see why Melissa is friends with them all. Then there's Heidi, whom I've met before at Youth Group. She's really cute and funny. I love getting to know new people. It's just so much fun.
Man have I ever changed over the years. I used to be so shy and backward, I wouldn't even talk to my cousin when she came home from out west. Now, I'm meeting new people and just talking up a storm. Fun stuff.
We're singing tonight at church. Live to Worship by Joy Williams. We practised for the first time last night before the party at Melissa's. We decided who was going to do what parts, and I got the first part again. I think that I always get it because no one else wants to have to go first. "Oh, the first part really sounds like you, Courtney, you should do it!"
No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be growling about it. I really don't mind going first. And I'm so thankful to have our little group to worship God with our voices. I'm ever so excited about singing with them, even though it's not the first time, just because their voices are all so awesome, I just feel so privileged to even be able to sing with them. I love my church.
I've probably already written the lyrics in an earlier entry, because we've wanted to do this song for awhile now.
Just a second, I'll go look.
Nope. Nevermind. I haven't ever posted the lyrics. So here we go!
A simple offering is all that we bring
We give our lives, claim you as King
We are Your servants and before You we bow
With every breath we make this vow
We will live to worship, give You praise
With all our hearts for all our days
Father we want to do
What You've created us to
We will live to worship You
Our every moment is a gift of Your grace
We are all Yours, now and always
More than just words,
O Lord, the cry of our hearts
Is to let our lives speak
Of how great You are
We will live to worship, give You praise
With all our hearts for all our days
Father we want to do
What You've created us to
We will live to worship You
You are worthy, You are holy
You alone are deserving
You are holy, You are worthy
You alone are deserving
We will live to worship, give You praise
With all our hearts for all our days
Father we want to do
What You've created us to
We will live to worship You
[Live to Worship - Joy Williams]
Question.
Has everyone heard The Cartoon Song by Chris Rice? It's the coolest song I've heard in awhile. Everyone has to download it or buy the CD or I don't know. Just listen. It's much fun!
I was thinkin' the other day,
"What if cartoons got saved?
They'd start singing praise
In a whole new way..."
Yeah, I was thinkin' the other day,
"What if cartoons got saved?
They'd start singing praise
In a whole new way..."
Fred and Wilma Flintstone
Sing "Yabba-dabba-do-lu-yah"
Scooby-doo and Shaggy:
"Scooby-dooby-doo-loo-yah"
And the Jetsons' dog named Astro:
"Rough-ray-roo-loo-yah"
I was thinkin' the other day,
"What if cartoons got saved?
They'd start singing praise
In a whole new way..."
Yeah, I was thinkin' the other day,
"What if cartoons got saved?
They'd start singing praise
In a whole new way..."
Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles:
"Cowabunga-loo-yah, Dude!"
Then there's, "Kermit the Frog here, singing,
High-ho-le-loo-yah"
And that little bald guy, Elmer Fudd:
"How-ay-woo-yah"
I was thinkin' the other day,
"What if cartoons got saved?
They'd start singing praise
In a whole new way..."
Yeah, I was thinkin' the other day,
"What if cartoons got saved?
They'd start singing praise
In a whole new way..."
Oh that big old moose and his friend Rocky,
"Bullwinkle-loo-yah"
And our favourite bear named Yogi,
"Hey, Boo-Boo-loo-ya"
Then there's all those little blue guys
And they'd sing, "Hah-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-lay-loo-yah"
How about Beavis and that other guy?
"Nah!!"
Now, there's a point to this looney-tune
I'm not an Anamaniac
But there's a lot of praisin' to do
And cartoons weren't made for that
It's our job
So, let's sing hallelujah
Now wasn't that just great. He has a really good Kermit voice too. I don't know if it was him or someone else, but it was really good, whoever it was.
Nick's mom, Rita Sonier, was talking to Diane Juckes this morning when I kind of slipped in and said something to Diane. And Rita told me that she's been meaning to tell me how much she likes me, and she gave me a hug. I felt really special. Diane said "I think we'll keep her."
I really love my church family. It really is like a family. That's what I love so much about having a small church. Like at Jessica and Marisa's church, there are like ... well let's just say that the majority of the population that lives on this side of the river goes to their church. And their priest doesn't know their names, they don't have a regular Youth Group or even special youth stuff. [At least I don't think so .. correct me if I'm wrong, Marisa!]
Pastor Todd came to this church just about the same time that my family came back here from living in Halifax. He was my "gym" teacher in kindergarten, which was a private kindergarten in the basement of the church. He was the best gym teacher ever. So cool. Everyone looked forward to it. He's always known my name, and he's never even mixed me and Rachel up. Some people do that all the time ... I don't know why, seeing as though we don't even look related.
But anyway, yeah.