Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Of Purest Gold

There are days when each hour is a fight just to survive.
When the sun doesn't shine and the time just crawls by...
How will I make it alive?

The war rages on with each breath that I take;
The storm inside of me thunders and crashes.
Will my heart stay in one piece or will it all turn to ashes?

I cry and say, "Your will be done, Lord."
But my heart passionately spews - "No, Mine!"
The pain of each step and the dread that is building,
Threaten to overtake me.

My heart is struggling - straining to beat -
As the war rages on inside.
Death to my flesh, or death to my soul,
Are the only options in sight.

"Oh Lord, won't you take this battle from me?
Banish these desires from my heart -
Make myself like You!"
..."Don't you care, Lord?" I whimper in anguish;
No answer in sight.

The wind clamors against my house;
The storm outside no match for the one in my heart.
Desperation and confusion join ranks against me.
When will this battle end?

"Not in this life," comes the nearly silent reply.
"Oh Lord! How can this be?"
"My child, your will is free -
The war will rage as long as you are outside eternity."

"You see, my child, this battle must be.
Each man has his own war to face.
For at the end of his life, his battle will prove a choice.
If the choice is made to give into the flesh,
Eternity will bring death."

"But if you let the war rage on,
If you choose to fight and never give up,
No matter the pain and sorrow that come:
Please know, my child, that
Each victory will make the war burn fiercer."

"Oh Father, how will I bear this?"
I whisper as tears stream down my face.
"My dearest daughter, I will never leave your side."
He reaches for my hand, his voice ever so tender and kind.
"And, my darling... you must remember that
Only by the hottest fires can the purest gold be refined."

Sunday, April 20, 2014

My God's Not Dead!

Let love explode and bring the dead to life. A love so bold to see a revolution somehow... Now I'm lost in Your freedom, In this world I'll overcome. My God's not dead, He's surely alive. He's living on the inside, Roaring like a lion.... Let hope arise and make the darkness hide, My faith is dead I need resurrection somehow... Let heaven roar, And fire fall, Come shake the ground with the sound of revival. My God's not dead, He's surely alive. He's living on the inside, Roaring like a lion. He's roaring, He's roaring, He's roaring like a lion.

A couple thousand years ago, there was a man that lived and walked on the earth. He was a man unlike any other man. He was so incredible and made such an impact that if you merely mention His name today (two thousand years later), nearly everyone knows exactly who He is. And His name continues to cause one of the biggest controversies of the ages. Why all this fuss? Why do people remember Him - why do some love Him so much, and yet others hate Him? He was just a lowly carpenter. A man who lived an unassuming life, who didn't even so much as have a house to call His own. He wasn't rich. He wasn't powerful. Why is He such a point of contention even today? Why hasn't His name long been forgotten in the annals of history?

Because this was not just any ordinary man. This was God, come down in the form of man... He lived a humble life, dedicated to saving mankind from their own sin. He suffered to the point of dying a humiliating and excruciating death for this cause. But thankfully the story does not end there. He did not stay in the tomb. He rose again! The miracle of miracles happened. Surely, if nothing else proves His deity, this does. He didn't stay in that tomb, but He rose again and He lives today.

And that, my friends, is the foundation of Christianity. If Christ did not rise, then Christianity is dead. If Christ did not rise again, then He would have been forgotten. No one would love or hate Him. The mention of His name would be of little or no consequence to most of our daily lives.

My God is not dead!

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Panda Bears

[via]

Panda Bears. They're such adorable little creatures aren't they? I've always thought that they were pretty cute. Plus, they seem so laid back and I don't know.. just happy, all the time. I mean, who really thinks of a panda bear as being angry or mean? No one is scared of panda bears. They don't hurt anything either. All they really do is sit around and eat bamboo, come to think of it.

There are also some less known facts about panda bears. For one, they don't hibernate. Instead, they travel to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They also don't have a permanent home, but instead they usually sleep at the base of a tree. Pandas are also generally solitary creatures and usually have their own individual territory.

I have always liked panda bears. Not only because I am somewhat similar to one (laid back, love to travel, solitary - haha) but also because they are so unique. I mean, they definitely aren't common. I also feel like I am unique (which I usually embrace and enjoy). lol. Pandas also just seem really artistic. They aren't just boring, and all one color like a brown or black bear. They have clearly defined colors that make them stand out and that are symmetrical and beautiful.

All in all, panda bears are clearly pretty awesome. Who wouldn't want to be one?

Oh, yeah and another small reason that I named my blog this - I happen to love Owl City (I'm sure you'll hear more about this later) and he just happens to have a song that has lyrics something like this:

"Content like a panda bear... still breathing the fresh mountain air..." :)

I want to be like that. Content, happy, unique, original.... I want to be a panda bear.

UPDATE: I changed my name from "The Content Panda Bear" to "Laurel Crowned." Read all about it here.