He came here for the rescue of us all

Something really cool happened last weekend. I went to go see this band perform, Levi Smith at Jacks Patio Bar. Well I went to go use the restroom during a break in the set and I pass by this guy who looks SO familiar! It took me about 2 seconds to remember who he was, and after I realized, I turned to Sarah and said "THATS JUSTIN POOLE!" Justin used to live down the street from me when I lived on trailway oak before I moved to st. louis. We worked together and he would give me rides to school in his old pick up truck. All we did saturday was glance at each other like "dude....?" haha but we didn't say anything to each other just because it had been so long and we weren't really sure if either of us were who we thought we were. So I get on myspace the next day and I have a message from him. So we start talking, and I go look at his myspace. His blog says something like Sovereign God. And he has another blog with a Christian song and the daily bible verse and a pic of Jesus. I had to bring it up because when I used to know him...if myspace existed, he would NOT have those things on his myspace. He went on to say that he was pretty much at his wits end, into drugs and not going anywhere in his life. He said he met this girl who was serious about her faith, and she got him going to church and he decided that Jesus is the best way to go! This for me...was so awesome. Just because I knew him way back when, then didn't speak to him for YEARS, and now that we've reconnected, I hear how Jesus has changed yet another life. This makes my heart smile.


How awesome is it that week after week we hear of how Jesus has transformed yet another life? He finds us in the darkest place....

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6

I feel like I'm going in the right direction

About 4 months ago I was so confused about what I wanted to do and wasn't happy with anything really in my life. Not that I was going through really rough times, but having just moved out on my own, it wasn't going so well. But now I can say that I'm SO HAPPY! Don't get me wrong, I miss my family like CRAZY! It sucks not having them in the same state as you...but I am surrounded by wonderful people. And I'm finally thinking clearly, thanks to grace point. I'm living with Cristi & Andy in their new house and it makes me feel good to be here. I love them to death! Janet, Megan, Tony, Angie & Linda are SO FUN to work with! I loooove them! Especially when Megan wants to play alien face or poke wars. Tony's birthday is coming up and we are doing something AAAAAAAAWESOME for him! I pray it all works out!

I'm sad I had to miss If... tonight, and it looks like for a while now, I'll have to be closing wednesday nights, but I want a mid-week bible study SOO bad! Sarah, Tara & I are going to start up a small discussion. Sarah bought the book tonight at the store, and we are going to find a day that works for all of us and get togetherr. I'm excited!

OOO also, so sunday I officially became a member of Grace Point and I'm going to help out on the baptism team. I'm excited. I wish I could sing in the choir every last sunday of the month, but I have classes until 7:45 on thursdays. Sad day...

ok so some blogs will just be like this. not necessarily deep thoughts, just simply whats been going on.


i recommend you listen to caleb collins. he is amazing.

"it's not about your possesions, it's about what possesses you." - Pastor Jeff Harris

Must I reiterate how amazing my pastor is, because I feel the need to do that. Pastor Jeff started a series on....simply I could say finances, even though it's MUUUCH more than that. I have a struggle with tithing and being obedient. I know that I can't bring my Ipod with me to heaven...I know that my music collection won't be transferred into heaven when I go....I do, I know this. But the thing with Grace Point, and Pastor Jeff, is he makes those things CLICK. Where you go..."ooooooooooooooh!!! now i really get it" See, the things that make us who we are on earth isn't our awesome cars, or awesome houses, or awesome electronics. How many people have we helped have a relationship with Christ? Even just been a helping factor in their relationship....how many times can you count that you have told someone that you'll pray for them, and then actually dropped everything you were doing, got on your knees and prayed for that person, right there? what about when God is telling you to go talk to that person who looks really alone, and tell them how wonderfully He has changed your life?...Jeff made us close our eyes today in service and picture a two-story house. On the bottom floor is everything that is temporary in our lives.....picture said items. Now...start up the stairs...up here is anything that you received, gave, did out of obedience of God...out of faith, out of service...whatever helped your relationship with Christ and whatever helped someone elses relationship with Christ. now what do you see? ...those things are what will be with you for eternity. the ONLY things that truly matter. it's almost like i really want to take some red and blue stickers and go around my life and put blue stickers on temporary things and red stickers on things that are going to be waiting for me in heaven. My struggle is tithing. This is not an excuse. I am 20 years old, been living out of my parents house for about 6 months (OMG I HAVEN'T COUNTED THOSE MONTHS IN FOREVER!!WOW!), I work a part-time job making a little more than minimum wage, and go to school. On top of all that, I'm trying to be healthy...and being healthy is expensive. So, my priorities are all mangled up. I have all these things that go before tithing. that go before GIVING to my Lord Jesus...who gave up his LIFE...for me? HOW MUCH SENSE DOES THAT MAKE?! ...wow, i suck...

Obedience...

Evaluate your life. Honestly, I'm going to make a list and a budget. Before anything, I need to give. Then I need to be smart, and not buy that really good cd that i want SOO bad! Pay rent. Pay credit card, phone, car. Buy gas, food. Whenever I run out of money....as long as I have been obedient, I know God will provide.

my prayer today is that I will open my eyes..."have an eye for obedience"...that Jesus will show me all I need to do is focus on the things in my life that will be able to go to heaven with me. It's ok to have an ipod and listen to it every day, just as long as your ipod doesn't possess you.

Where am I?

Pretty sure this has happened to everyone, you know...you go spend the night at a new friends house for the first time and when you wake up, that sudden second of panic and fear that lasts for a bout 1.32 seconds. WHERE IN THE HECK AM I?! ...oh right...then you are brought back down to a level of comfort and probably go back to sleep.

For the past couple of years or so, my life has sort of seemed like a slumber party at a new friends house, in the sense where when I "wake up"...I have no idea where I am or what got me here. Shortly after I am calmed by my loving Savior that He is bringing me through the fire...The scary place I thought I was in, isn't that scary. It's a journey. A place in time where I have to be to get to where I'm going. But man...that initial eye opener is frightening.

I'm constantly learning and growing in my relationship with Christ. I feel my heart becoming warmer and easier to forgive. It's not as tight as it once was....

i hate peas

....heath ledger will no longer have any new movies that i can go and enjoy. this breaks my heart, a little. i feel bad that he had to die alone, sad and on drugs. that is the worst way to go, thinking that drugs is all you have...

someone i knew quite well for a little while, dated him while i worked at pizza hut, died about a year after we stopped talking alone from a drug overdose. when you hear that news all you want to do is make sure the people you love, KNOW you love them. give an extra smile or two today to someone who looks like they are having it rough....and what else can you do except PRAY to God that he isn't alone anymore. And that his family has a lot of support....the saddest part is his 2 year old daughter, Matilda...now has no daddy. pray pray pray


nothing else seems important, so thats all

yeah so i'm corny.

im slacking at the new years resolution, blog more. blah. not that i haven't had time, i just started this when i was in st. louis and had nothing better to do. Now i have school & work and sort of a life. But juuuust to clarify, I want this blog to capture my spiritual journey. Yes, I'll be random sometimes (hi, name's lisa...and i'm random), but for the most part, its gon be bout mah JESUS! whenever i talk to kayla, she makes me wierd and i just got off th ephone. sorry bout that. and apparently, i'm corny. didn't realize it, but it's true. it's ok. corny is good. i'm looking for corny in my life. oh! i love the holiday. ok enough with the random blabblees

So, I tried to become a member at Grace Point in November of 07, but they said i couldn't because of how funny my toes smell.

see, wierd i tell ya.

Now its Jan and Grace Point has a new members class! soooooo it was sunday and the last one is this sunday. i realizedd that i've never in my life had a moment where i felt so content? ...thats a bad word, but basically, I know absolutely without a douuuuubt that i'm supposed to be at Grace Point. Once Pastor Jeff gave his speech about either God called you to this church or he didn't, and if he didn't R U N. after that...I was 145% sure that my place right now was to be at Grace Point. And when you've never had that feeling before, it's pretty freeing! I've actually been the one to feel like I don't belong a lot of the times, or like I made the wrong decision in moving somewhere. But finally, I have my place. And I am so excited to be on this journey. (yeah kayla, i'm so corny like jiffy pop)

I've been working at Family Christian Stores, and it's great but I am a teensy bit worried. I know you probably think i'm silly, but I don't want to lose focus, and I feel like I might working here. Ok i dont feel like I will, but i do know that I have to really pray hard and WORK at staying focused on my journey. Jesus throws me curve balls sometimes, and a few times lately, I've totally missed. I haven't struck out yet, so I'm gonna have to be on top of my game next time. I have to EXPECT those curve balls, ya know? so i can grand slam those suckers. ok enough with the baseball analogy. like i said, only a teensy bit worried. just one of those things i'll overcome.

So, I need to pray more. I don't do it enough. And honestly, I don't know how to pray outloud because I never do. I don't think Im the only like that, but....it's a possibility. and thats sucky. Also, I need to read my Bible more. Family Christian gave us the new max lucado through the bible in a year for christmas...and I've ready it a couple of times, and actually last night I was really into it. But I was SO EXHAUSTED I couldn't ready any extra.

no excuse though.


So today at work this lady goes off about how mean we are and how she's been in 3 times and every time she gets ignored, because shes fat and ugly and old. ? Then later someone comes in and says that she's been to several other family christian stores and no one is as nice as we are. because we give them extra punches for making extra purchases. and like our customers. and this lady who said it, was not young, skinny or pretty. i'm just saying...Jesus does a good job of sending you people when you need it.

I guess thats all for now. Levi smith this weekend oMGG XD


love,

Lisa

here at the alter...

Careless, I am reckless
I'm a wrong-way-travelin'-slowly-unraveling shell of a man
Burnt out, I'm so numb now
That the fire's just an ember way down in the corner of my cold, cold heart
Lord, this time I'll make it right, here at the altar I lay my
Your kingdom come but my will was done, my heart is broken as I...

Cry, like so many times before
But my eyes are dry before I leave the floor, oh Lord
I try but this time, Jesus, how can I be sure I will not lose my follow through
Between the altar and the door

Here at the altar, oh my world so black and white
How could I ever falter
What You've shown me to be right
I'm trying so hard to stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me
Jesus, I'm trying so hard to stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me




this is my favorite song right now. actually any on this CD...oh i love it.

and in this craaaazy life.

back to texas, back to busy! I wanted to take quick minute out of my super busy day today to write a little. My room is so messy!! That's my main focus today is cleaning. Also getting my paychecks! I have 2 coming this week, for that one week when i worked 39 hours at one job and 30 at the other. Sigh...if only I could do that every week, I'd be RICH! haha... But I need to pay off a credit card that has gotten a little too out of control & give Sarah's mom some money. I owe her a lot - she's been letting me live here for over 2 months for free! Oh and then I get to go work tonight....YAY! no really...i'm excited. I worked at Family Christian for two weeks then took a week and a half off for vacation. I didn't work hard enough to need a vacation...I'm ready to go back! I miss it.

So the biggest thing going around the news today are the presidential elections, 08! Right now, I'm thinking Mike Huckabee. But I'm still not 100% convinced. Possibly Obama...but not sure. This is actually the first year I get to vote. I JUST missed it in '04!

Another thing...I feel so bad for Britney Spears. I grew up with her basically in the lime light, and she is just in a bad downward spiral. Someone who is not going to judge her, will love her, and care for her, and bring her back to good health, needs to go and pack her suitcase, let her live with them and have about 340934 police officers making sure that NO ONE gets in. no one. thats my thought...because this girl is only going to get worse with the stupid papparazzi going nuts over her. chris crocker did have a point....LEAVE HER ALONE. lol...buuuuuut seriously! it's gonna be another princess diana story, or anna nicole smith....and that would make me very sad. i just feel really bad for her.


time to finish cleaning!


oh and i'm starting to count calories. 1100 a day for now. exercising about 5 times a week. this isn't really a 'new years resolution' because that's been my resolution for so many years...and i've only gotten fatter. so i'm just ready to change my life, feel better about myself, and be more confident.

hairspray

If you wanna see a great movie, I suggest you rent or buy Hairspray. Awesome girl plays the lead who isn't what hollywood normally calls pretty gets Zac Efron!! Heck YES. Thats my kinda movie.

Youtube is my obsession. That's nothing new, trust me - but I find so many great things on there!! Especially going back to my insane obsession with that boyband that was popular in my childhood. My memories live on that website & it's awesome to just go back and relive it all. Don't judge me and my dorkyness.

I think I'm going to try to find a cheaaap efficiency to do me for a while. The living situation is kind of awkward right now, and I would rather just have my own place to go home to and put all my furniture in, even though I appreciate what everyone has offered and done for me! Even though I know I'm probably not, I feel like a bother, and that feeling isn't nice. I wanna bother myself, not anyone who is sticking their neck out for me.


I fly back to texas tomorrow to start back work and school for another 4 months. I'm anxious.

life lessons and resolutions.

I think it's necessary, because its so real, to share all the life lessons I have learned and gathered in 2007. This has been one of the most growing years for me. I decided to take life in my own hands and expierence what life felt like when I did what I wanted to do. I had fun, made memories, but also felt more lost than I ever have felt before. I lost some friends but I gained some new ones too. Honestly life is what you make out of it. If you want to waste your life away with partying, then I really hope you realize soon it is the most empty feeling ever. Nothing is worth what Jesus did for me on that cross. I have been raised as a Christian all my life, but until I tried things my way and saw only destruction, I didn't truly realize the price that was paid for ME. I didn't realize how much grace can save you. How living our God is right now! And that He is just waiting for us to reach out our hands to him...He's standing right there! Take his hand!

I've had a few particular friends for years now. We all know how sometimes, unfortunetly, we don't appreciate the loving people you have right infront of you. So this year, what I'm going to try and do - is realize the people that love me, and tell them how much I love and appreciate them way more than I did last year. I didn't do it nearly enough. Anyone that has done anything nice or generous for me, I'm so appreciative. I'm not the best confronter in the world, and try to avoid awkward situations at all costs, and even though its a lame exuse as to why I didn't say thank you or I appreicate you, it's all I got.

Basically I learned that you can fall and it's ok, because when you get back up, you'll only be stronger. And to love those around you and hold tight to those who love you because in the end it's all you will have. And no matter what - Trust in Jesus! He's there to love you and carry you through this crazy world. He's not here to judge, whatever things you've done wrong, you've already been forgiven! He just wants you to reach out to him...I can't get over how amazing that is!!

Ok - enough ramblin...I think I got my point across.

Here's to 2008! It's gonna be great! ha

my attempt at resoluting

here's a shot at succesfully going through with one of my new years resolutions - BLOGGING! Blog is a fun word, and you know...I wish I had more of my life blogged. So here it is, 2008 you will be blogged! Nothing for now, maybe later tonight.

You should check out Chad Overman. He's my favorite!